Christmas Countdown: Six Degrees of Separation
by pinkswallowsun
Summary: It's December 2020 and Harry and Nikki are looking forward to a quiet Christmas at home. However, a surprise visitor and a broken heart later, chaos ensues in the Cunningham household. Will all be forgiven and resolved in time for Christmas day? Advent fic, a chapter a day until Christmas provided it gets reviews :)
1. Monday 1st December 2020

**Harry's Diary**

**Monday 1****st**** December 2020**

**-5.47am**

"Nikki?"

"Hmm?"

"It's far too early in the morning for this." Not even six in the morning yet, first day of December and am freezing cold, stood at bottom of garden in dressing gown, slippers and bloody bare legs watching wife as of April search the flowerbeds for perfect hiding place for jelly Marks and Spencer's Collin Caterpillar. You couldn't make it up.

"Of course it is! Oh come on Scrooge, get into the spirit of it! It's the first day of advent, if we're not going to make an effort with Josi's advent treasure hunt today then we might as well not bother!"

Hmph.

"But Nikki! I know that, and yes the look on Josi's face when she can't quite figure out our advent treasure hunt clues are absolutely priceless, but quarter to six in the morning? Really?"

"Well it has to be all sorted before she wakes up! We didn't have a garden to make use of last year, hiding things outside is just going to make it so much more exciting, don't you think?"

I should explain. Last December, Nikki and I decided buying chocolate advent calendar for daughter year after year was a bit boring and downright unimaginative. So spent a whole evening once Josi was in bed making two-step advent treasure hunt for each day counting down until Christmas with series of more varied prizes at the end.

Anyway, last year was such a huge success that wasn't really even a question about doing it all again. Added twist of advent 2020, however, is that having moved house since last Christmas, Cunningham family are now in possession of garden. One which Nikki has seemed determined to take full advantage of in all ways physically possible ever since moving in.

"But Nikki, Josi's not actually going to be out here looking for anything for another hour and a half at least! Those jelly snake things will have frozen by then, it's so cold out here!"

"You know full well they're caterpillars! Look, see, it's perfect! She's going to have to think about that but it's not impossible, either. Perfect."

Ohhh the temptation. Hmm… to make joke or to not make joke. Think Nikki is in rather good mood for not quite six in the morning, going to risk it. Far too tempting to not.

"Yep, perfect. Let's just hope next door's cat doesn't decide to urinate in our flowerpots again."

Hehehehehehehehe grossed her out, can tell from the look on her face. Priceless.

"Harry! Ewww!"

"Well that's what you get for leaving unwrapped sweets in the garden at six in the morning! Never trust a cat Nikki, especially a tabby cat. There's something sinister about that thing."

"Never trust a cat?" Ohhh she's laughing now, love making her laugh. "Had a bad experience, did you?"

"The one from the house opposite when I was a child used to sneak in through our back door and perch itself on top of my hamster cage; I could never trust a cat again."

"Do early mornings in the cold bring out even more sarcasm than ever in you?"

"Quite possibly. Does that mean I'm excused from tomorrow morning's advent prize hiding?"

"Absolutely not."

**-6.34am**

Ahhh, thank goodness for that. Back in nice warm bed after horrible cold garden, am in heaven. Nikki disappeared off to have shower as soon as jelly caterpillar things were hidden, so took opportunity to dive back under covers and warm up. Much better. Will just have five more minutes.

**-6.39am**

And another five. Can't hurt.

**-6.51am**

Shit. Eeeek wasn't planning of staying in bed quite that long, better get up. Will most likely have hyperactive nine year old on hands any minute now, first day of sweets before 8am of the year tends to lead to overexcitement, as have learnt over last few years. God I miss being that age. Although must admit, is almost better to be the adult in advent treasure hunt scenario, as get to giggle at darling offspring's attempts to locate sweets. If last year is anything to go by, will be thoroughly amusing.

**-6.56am**

Ah, here she comes.

"Morning Daddy!"

"Morning. You seem happy." Will torture her for a bit pretending to be ridiculously slow as to what day it is today, far too much fun. Denying darling offspring of sugar always is.

"Of course I am, it's almost Christmas! Aren't you excited Daddy?"

"Oh I don't know about that, Josi. It's still another 24 days to go yet, don't you think it's a bit early to be getting excited?"

"But it's Christmas this month!"

Hehehehe, I know exactly what she's getting at really, of course, but will hold her off for a bit longer just for comedy value. "24 days though Josi, that's still more than half a month. There's no point getting too excited yet, nothing special's happening today, is it?"

Ohhh got her, look on her face is absolutely priceless.

"Daddy! It's December 1st!"

"Pinch, punch, first day of the month and no returns?"

Hehehehe, love making her giggle, sounds like Nikki in miniature. Also like Nikki, is incredibly ticklish. Which makes it all too easy to make her laugh at a moment's notice.

"Daddyyyy! You know that wasn't what I meant!"

"Do I?"

"Yes, you do! It's the first day of advent!"

"Is it?" Not sure am going to be able to spin this one out for too much longer, better make the most of it.

"You know it is! Daddy?"

"Yes?" Ohhh bet I know what this next question's going to be.

"So do I get chocolate? Or sweets, I'll settle for sweets."

Yep. I know her too well.

"Of course you do, come on then. Mummy and I have made you a treasure hunt again this year, so you can have your first clue when you've finished your breakfast, OK?"

"Can't I have it before? As soon as I'm dressed?"

Awww, she's rather adorable when she's over-excited.

"Nope. I know exactly what you'll do Joycelin Cunningham, you'll spend forever hunting for sweets and before we know it it'll be time to leave for school and you won't have had any breakfast. Food first, then sweets."

"But sweets technically are food Daddy, so why can't I hunt for sweets first and have those as my breakfast if there isn't enough time for Weetabix?"

"Because your Mum and I can't send you to school on nothing but sugar Josi, absolutely no way. You'd be bouncing off the walls." Quite literally, judging by what she was learning to do in dancing last week.

"But I'll be bouncing off the walls if you don't let me have sweets on the first day of advent too!"

"Not my call Josi, you'll have to ask Mummy. Right come on, go and get dressed."

"So will Mummy let me do the treasure hunt before school? Will you persuade her for me?"

Damn, she's doing the puppy eye thing. Can't resist the puppy eye thing, especially given she only does it when after something harmless like sweets.

"Only if you get dressed in the next ten minutes, OK? Then I'll ask Mummy."

God, she has me under her spell. Then again, is my daughter, surely that's OK? Can't resist her mother either, must be genetic. And therefore completely not my fault.

**-7.43am**

"Harry?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Which shoes, left foot or right foot?"

Ehhh? Both look the same to me. Darling wife has far too many pairs of shoes.

"Whichever Nikki, they both look fine to me."

"Yes, I know that, but which one looks best?"

"Ummm… right foot?" Does it really matter? Apparently so.

"Good, that's what I thought." Is staring out the kitchen window now, looks rather amused. "How long has she been searching for that Collin the Caterpillar now?"

"No idea, 20 minutes? She's being unbelievably slow; you did give her a proper clue, didn't you?"

"Of course I did, my clues are in a different league to yours remember, we established that last Christmas! No, she's just being slow because she's hoping she'll miss assembly if she takes too long."

"Ingenious. How on earth did you suss her out?"

"Because she's been right past the flowerpot with the caterpillar sweet thing at least five times now, and each time she looked at it shiftily and carried on pretending to look up at the apple tree. And the Monday morning school run is routinely dedicated to assembly bashing."

"Are you sure you're not psychic?"

"Yep, positive. You're just slow."

"Oi, you!"

"What?" Hehehehe she's giggling again now, love her giggle.

"I love you, you know. Always."

* * *

**I did promise you I was going to do it all again this year :) It's going to be a bit of a nightmare getting it all done but I'm going to succeed, I promise! Hopefully I can better last year's advent fic, if you're new to this and wondering what on earth I'm on about then this is going to be a kind of fanfiction advent calendar, with a chapter for each day of December until Christmas :) though I haven't written them all yet, nowhere near, so you still need to leave me lots of lovely reviews if you want more ;)**

**Try not to let the title worry you too much, I promise it's not what you think. I wanted to jazz it up a bit this year and I wanted more of a plot than last year, then I had this idea but wrote it off because I decided it was too evil. And then I was dancing to the Script's 'Six Degrees of Separation' a couple of weeks ago and it fitted my original idea so perfectly that I decided to run with this anyway ;) But don't worry, it's CHristmas after all, and I promise by Christmas day they'll all have made up and be in love with each other again. Promise. And like I said, it's not what you think :P**

**Please do review if you want me to carry on writing this, I'm on the 4th at the moment so I need lots of nice reviews to help me get the next few finished :P **

**Flossie xxx**


	2. Tuesday 2nd December 2020

**Tuesday 2****nd**** December 2020**

**Joycelin's Diary**

**-6.18pm**

Urgh. French homework. I don't like French homework, French is pointless. And Mummy and Daddy are completely hopeless at it, so I can't ask them for help when I get stuck like I can with Maths and Science homework. Why can't we learn Afrikaans instead, like my third best friend Anouk gets to do at her school in South Africa. I like Afrikaans, I can already speak Afrikaans, Mummy taught me. And it sounds much more like English than French does, you can speak Afrikaans normally, whereas in French class you have to speak like the pink panther. And Fleur from Harry Potter, who is extremely annoying. Hmmm, maybe I should ask Mr Roberts if we can learn Afrikaans instead next term.

"Mummy?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Can I suggest to Mr Roberts that we have Afrikaans lessons instead of French lessons after Christmas?"

"Well you can certainly suggest it Josi, but I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you."

"Oh. Why not?"

"Because I doubt he knows the first thing about Afrikaans."

"He doesn't know the first thing about French either, Mummy! When he made us write a sentence about what we did at the weekend in French and I asked him the French for 'toxic shock' and he looked very taken aback and had to type it into Google Translator."

"Did he? And how do you say 'toxic shock' in French, just out of interest?"

"Choc toxique."

"Right. Why did you need to know how to say that for writing about what you did at the weekend, anyway?"

"Because Mr Roberts was expecting boring stuff like 'I went to the park with my family', because that sort of thing's all he's taught us, he hasn't taught us anything interesting. It's getting a bit boring now, so I thought I'd say something interesting and liven it up, so he wasn't reading 30 people's French sentences that were all exactly the same."

"Josi?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think perhaps Mr Roberts is trying to start off by teaching you the 'boring stuff' because it's easier? It's probably best to just concentrate on the basics for now, you can learn how to say complicated things in French later on."

"How much later?" Not sure I'll survive too many more French lessons going over colours and pets over and over and over again without dying of boredom. Why can't we learn the French names for muscles and internal organs? Or bones, at the very least? That would be much more exciting.

"Oh, I don't know Joycelin… secondary school?"

"Secondary school?! But that's ages away! Do I really have to wait until then to learn how to talk about the human body in French?"

"Josi? Sometimes I wonder if you spend too much time at the Lyell Centre with Daddy and me."

"Are you saying I'm not allowed to come in with you anymore?"

"No, of course not. I'm just asking you why you really need to know how to talk about the human body in French?"

"Because it's far more useful than being able to talk about pets. For me, anyway. Because when I'm grown up I'm going to be some kind of doctor, and you and Daddy won't let me have a pet."

"Is that a hint?"

"Well no, not exactly. But now you mention it Mummy, you and Daddy did promise me when we moved house I could have a guinea pig, and we've been living here for… for… for months now."

"Josi? I'll make a deal with you. Get on with your French homework and I'll _think_ about suggesting it to Daddy as a Christmas present idea, OK? _Think_ about it though, I'm not promising anything."

Ohhh.

"OK then. Mummy? We're staying here for Christmas this year, right?"

"Yep, that's right. We're going round to Nana's for Christmas dinner, I think it's going to be us and some more of hers and Daddy's family, so that'll be nice, won't it? We haven't done Christmas with them before, it'll be nice."

"So we're going to be in the country this year… so in theory…"

"Josi?"

"Ja?"

"French homework. Now. Or Daddy and I won't even be thinking about it."

**-6.23pm**

Urgh, this is SO boring. What's the point in Mr Roberts giving out French homework if the work is exactly the same as what we did in the lesson today? Pointless. And I don't know enough French words for things to make it more exciting. I'm definitely suggesting to Mr Roberts that we do Afrikaans next term, I know enough Afrikaans words to talk about lots of different things, which would make it much more interesting. And if Mr Roberts's French lessons are anything to go by, watching him trying to teach Afrikaans and get the accent right would be hilarious.

Ohhh, that's the phone.

"I'll get it!" Perfect excuse out of French homework. "Hello?"

"Josi?" Ohhh, it's Auntie Sara.

"Hi Auntie Sara! How are you?"

"I… I'm OK. How are you Josi?"

Hmmm… her voice sounds funny. Almost like…

"Are you crying?"

"What? No my darling, I'm fine, just a dodgy phone line, that's all."

"Are you sure?" Doesn't sound like a dodgy phone line, sounds like sobbing. Sounds like when Mummy cries, which is horrible. Hate seeing Mummy cry. I've only seen Auntie Sara cry once before in person and that was really horrible too; don't like the idea of her crying.

"I'm sure sweetheart, don't worry, OK? How are you, how's school?"

"School's boring."

"Awww is it? Why's it boring?"

"Because I'm doing French homework. And I hate French homework, because we just have to do the same boring stuff we do at school all over again, and my teacher doesn't teach us any interesting vocabulary, just the same boring words over and over again."

_"Mais Joycelin, si vous n'avez jamais apprendre les mots de base, comment allez-vous être en mesure d'utiliser les très compliquées?"_

"What does that mean?" Auntie Sara should come and teach us all the type of French people speak in the Congo, would be much better than Mr Roberts's lessons. In fact, she could teach us science too. And PE.

"Not telling you darling, you'll have to work it out for yourself."

"But Auntie Sara, I can't! I told you, we don't learn anything useful in French lessons."

"Yes you can, break it down into words you do know. _Mais_, what's that?"

"I don't know!"

"_Vous n'avez_, what's that? Come on, you must have done verbs!"

"No. We just memorise phrases about what we did at the weekend and how to ask someone if they have any pets."

"Really? Good god, I see exactly what you mean, how can your teacher not be making you learn verbs? Sounds like the UK education system's not all it's cracked up to be."

"I'm going to ask if we can do Afrikaans instead next term, French is boring."

"Ennuyeux? Joycelin le français est la langue de l'amour, comment pouvez-vous appeler cela ennuyeux?"

Oh, her voice sounds funny again.

"Auntie Sara, are you sure you're OK? Shall I get Mummy?"

"N-no Josi, I'm fine, don't worry. Listen… I've got to go now, will… will you tell Mummy I called please?"

"OK. Shall I get her to call you tom…?"

Oh. She's not there anymore.

"Josi? Who are you on the phone to, darling?"

"No one. I was talking to Auntie Sara, but now she's gone."

"She's gone?" Hmmm, Daddy looks confused. "What did she want, did you ask? She didn't want to speak to Mummy or me?"

"I don't know, she didn't say. She sounded funny."

"Funny?"

"Mmm. Like she was crying."

"Crying?" Looks worried now, not good. "Are you sure? Did she say something was wrong?"

"No, I did ask her if something was wrong but she said she was fine."

"But you thought it sounded like she was crying?"

"Mmm."

"I'll sort it out Josi, don't worry, OK? I'll get Mummy to phone her back, if anything's wrong I'm sure she'll be able to get it out of her. Don't worry, it'll all be fine. I promise."

* * *

Day 2, can you feel the angst coming? :P Huge, huge hugs to Dinabar, Amy, Emma ( oh but this is the angsty one :P ), Greyslostwho, Claire and Catty for reviewing yesterday's edition, chapter 4 is now completed thanks to you :) But I haven't started number 5 yet so if you want more, you're going to have to review :P Do let me know what you think's going to happen on the angst front, I love to know what you're thinking.

It's late now so I'm going to sleep, but I'll be catching up with reading and reviewing of everyone's fics tomorrow, promise :)

Flossie xxx


	3. Wednesday 3rd December 2020

**Wednesday 3****rd**** December 2020**

**Nikki's Diary**

**-6.07pm**

Ahhh, they're running late. Again. Don't know why Joycelin's bloody dance teacher keeps telling me pick up at six when she rarely finishes with her before quarter past. Not in the mood for hanging around for ages tonight, horrible complicated case this afternoon involving a thirteen year old boy and a nasty incident with a heavy goods vehicle. Just want to go home and curl up on the sofa with Harry and Josi, don't particularly want to hang around here with said daughter's dance friends' parents and join in the stressing over costumes and whatnot for Christmas show.

Need to have another go at phoning Sara when get home, too, haven't been able to get hold of her since she called and spoke to Joycelin last night. Not answering her mobile, called in sick this morning to work according to Danika, Sara's colleague and mother of Josi's third best friend Anouk. And no one answering house phone, given Zaretta, Ethan and Calllum are now all at university, am assuming Pieter must be working a long shift. Still, not like Sara to go so long without answering her mobile. Getting just a little bit worried now, must admit. Which is stupid, of course. Because more likely than not, everything is absolutely fine. Of course it is.

**-6.11pm**

Grrrr, going to walk in there and grab her if she's not out in a minute. Bloody ridiculous. The woman's spent all evening teaching jazz to hyperactive children for god's sake, you'd have thought she couldn't kick them out fast enough come pick up time. Apparently not.

**-6.13pm**

Ahhh, movement. Thank god for that, can finally go home. Only quarter an hour late, not bad. It's been worse. Much worse.

Ohhh, except Josi doesn't look particularly happy.

"Ahhh, there you are. What's up with you then?"

"Nothing." Ohhh she's really not happy.

"Well something is, aren't you going to tell me? Come on; are you ready to go home?"

"Tell you later." Awww bless her, looks slightly upset and a little bit panicky. Poor baby.

"OK, in the car? Come on, Daddy's going to be wondering where we are."

**-6.17pm**

"Josi? So are you going to tell me what's wrong, then?" Made it all the way into the car and out of car park and she still hasn't started to talk, not a good sign.

"I can't do illusion turns. And I can't do split leaps out of pirouettes."

"You mean you can't do them yet. You'll learn." Not entirely convinced know what she's talking about, been a while since took ballet classes. In fact, last time was probably around Josi's age.

"Yes, but I need to be able to do them now! Because Miss Michelle's making me do them in the Christmas show in a solo, and that's only two weeks away so when I fall flat on my face I'll be on the stage all by myself and everyone will laugh at me!"

Awww.

"Oh Josi, no one's going to laugh at you, darling."

"Yes they will! They will if I try to do an illusion and get my legs in a tangle and fall on my head!"

"No sweetheart, they won't laugh at you because you'll be able to do them perfectly by the time you have to do them on a stage, you'll see." Not that it's a particularly big stage really, but must be quite scary when you're nine.

"Will I?"

"Of course you will, you had this same panic about your scales for your piano exam and you were fine in the end, remember? Trust me Josi, it'll all be fine, you'll…"

Ohhh phone. Expect that'll be Harry wondering where we are. And how long he has to wait until dinner.

"Shall I get that for you Mummy?"

"No, don't worry Josi, it'll cut into the Bluetooth in a minute." Finally joined the 21st century and bought new car avec Bluetooth device thing. Or rather, Harry did. I just specified that I wanted a magenta one to make a change from boring old black and silver.

Ohhh ringing. "Can you just check who it is for me, please?"

"Ummm… Auntie Sara."

Ohhh gosh. Not sure quite psyched up for this yet, so unlike Sara to cry as apparently was last night. Was planning on settling self on sofa with glass of rosé before trying to call her again. Not being stuck in traffic jam along high street in the dark with nine year old in the car.

Just going to have to brave it.

"Hi Sara! Sorry I missed you last night, Josi said you rung but you had to go before I could get to the phone. How are you?"

_"Niks?"_

Ohhh gosh, if this is how she sounded when spoke to Josi last night then clearly have most emotionally sensitive nine year old ever, definitely crying. Oh god. Hate it when Sara cries, rarely ever does. Not really the sort of person to cry, comes across so hard and strong, hence when she does, find it a little difficult to not burst into tears along with her. Oh god.

"Sara? Sara, what's wrong?"

_"I…" _Ohhh gosh she's properly sobbing, definitely something wrong. Why is it dealing with Joycelin when she's upset is relatively easy, even though upsetting, but knowing what do to with Sara is a nightmare? Damn, going to make such a mess of this.

"Sara? Come on deep breaths, breathe for me. Are you OK?"

_"I… I'm…"_

"You're what? Sara? Sara come on, talk to me, please?"

_"I'm… a-a-at…"_

"At where, Sara? Where are you?"

_"I… Heathr-r-row… Airp-p-port."_

Oh god.

"Heathrow? OK… OK, Sara? Sara, are you by yourself? Or is Pieter with you, or the kids…?"

_"No, just… just me."_ Uh oh her sobbing's getting worse, think could have put foot in it. Oh god… god no…

Just hope I'm wrong. Damn Nikki, think. Never mind about that. Plan, need a plan.

"Right OK, that's OK… Sara, stay right where you are, alright? Promise me? I'm coming to get you, I'll be about 45 minutes, just stay right there, don't leave the airport, promise? I'm coming to get you. Go and get yourself a coffee or something…"

_"Can't, haven't… g-got any B-British money!"_

Ohhh gosh, definitely not a planned trip then. Definitely something very, very wrong.

"OK… OK, well don't do that then… go and find somewhere to wait, I'll be there as soon as I can, I promise. I'm coming."

She's hung up.

"Mummy?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Something's really horribly wrong, isn't it?"

How on earth am I meant to answer that one?

"I… I don't know, Josi, I don't know. But I do know whatever it is, we'll sort it, I promise. It's all going to be OK. Right… I'll run you home and then I'll head over to get Auntie Sara, you and Daddy are going to have to sort out dinner tonight."

"Can't I come with you?"

"Not this time darling, it's probably best if it's just me that goes. I'll drop you home and then I'll turn around and head over to Heathrow, it'll be fine."

**-6.46pm**

Well, it would all have been fine. If only some god-damn idiot hadn't gone out joyriding at 6.30 in the evening and crashed into car on the other side of the road, blocking the whole thing off completely. No one hurt thankfully, took Josi down there to check when saw police cars go past. No one hurt, but road down to our house completely blocked off.

Only one thing for it then.

"Josi?"

"Hmm?"

"Listen, if we carry on this way it's going to take forever to get you home, and it's just as bad on the other side of the road heading towards Heathrow so…"

"So I might as well come with you?"

"I think you're going to have to, darling. Is that OK?"

"Of course it is, I don't mind."

Thank god have such an understanding nine year old. Sometimes forget she is only nine, wonderfully grown up and responsible for nine. Worry she's growing up too fast sometimes, though in situations like this am bloody grateful for her.

"Thank you. We'll have to phone Daddy and tell him what's going on, he'll be worrying about us. But listen, Auntie Sara's clearly very upset, so let me look after her, OK? I need you to be really sensitive and understanding, can you do that for me?"

"Of course I can. Mummy?"

"Yes _malaika_?"

"What sort of time will we get home?"

"I really don't know Josi, I'm sorry. Possibly quite late if this traffic jam's anything to go by."

"So will you write me a note to explain why I haven't done my piano practise?"

So, so grateful for daughter and wonderful ability to make even the most horrible situations a little more bearable. Probably just as well haven't got the time to take her home, think might need her this evening. Going to be a long, long night.

* * *

**Told you it was going to get angsty :P Come on then, place your bets, you know you want to. Huge thank you hugs to my wonderful reviewers Amy, Claire, Emma, Dinabar and Greylostwho, you guys are absolutely brilliant, sorry it's later in the day today. **

**As ever, please do review, you make my day and I'm a bit behind on this, reviews will help get me back on track. You know you want to :) **

**Flossie xxx**


	4. Thursday 4th December 2020

**Thursday 4****th**** December 2020**

**Nikki's Diary**

**-0.00am**

_"So you're still not there?! Blimey, how bad was that accident?"_

"Atrocious, Harry it was just awful. We're almost there now, about five minutes away I think. No, we were stationary for over two hours, and then practically crawling the whole way out of London, and then when we finally made it onto the motorway that was chaos with everyone trying to avoid going down the accident zone and getting stuck for hours on end, it was a nightmare."

_"So… so it's taken you five hours to make a 45 minute journey?!" _

"I know, I know, don't even go there. Bloody joyriders, I tell you, of all the days to block off that damn A road completely, and the road clearance people took so long to arrive I thought we were going to be stuck in the same place all night… But Josi's been so good, she deserves a medal, she's kept me sane."

"If it wasn't for me then Mummy might have gotten out of the car and punched the man who kept hooting his horn at her when…"

"Yes OK, thanks Josi."

_"She's still awake?"_

Ahhh. Eyes were closing so had to pull in at motorway services for a coffee around 11.30, when finally made it out of London, away from horrible jam after accident and onto the motorway.

So ended up in Starbucks.

Where Joycelin asked if she could try coffee for the first time.

And, given she'd been beautifully behaved the whole five odd hours stuck in the traffic jam from hell, not to mention hadn't been able to get hold of Sara for past two hours due to being stuck stationary in no signal zone, was feeling rather stressed and tired and couldn't be bothered to argue, somehow ended up buying her peppermint white mocha thing.

Told self would be mostly mint and chocolate and not too much caffeine, therefore would be fine. Thought wrong. Thankfully caffeine seems to make Josi more alert than hyper, not sure hyper nine year old and distraught best friend would have been particularly good combination.

"I'm still awake Daddy! Mummy's right, the traffic was horrible, I thought we were going to be stuck there forever!"

_"You're going to be tired at school tomorrow! Sleep Joycelin, sleep!"_

Ohhh gosh, school. Hadn't even thought about that, been so caught up in needing to go and pick up Sara and offer a shoulder to cry on and nightmare traffic that completely forgot tomorrow is school day. Damn. She's going to be absolutely shattered, so should have taken her home before began nightmare journey over to Heathrow. Although then would probably be even later getting over to airport to pick up Sara, judging by length and scale of jam caused by accident. Urgh this is a nightmare, absolute nightmare.

And only going to get worse once find Sara. Oh good god.

"I can't sleep in anything moving Daddy, you know that!"

"Harry we're almost there now, can I call you back? I need to phone Sara and arrange somewhere to meet."

_"Course you can, I'll see you later. The spare room's all sorted, I've even cleaned the bathroom."_

"Oh you angel."

_"You're welcome. I'll see you soon. Oh, and Nikki?"_

"Hmm?"

_"Good luck. I think you're going to need it."_

**-0.06am**

"Josi? Josi, sweetheart?" For someone who claims not to be able to sleep in cars and who's had her first taste of coffee not half an hour ago, is surprisingly flat out. Then again, has had hell of an evening since picked her up from dancing and is considerably past her bedtime. Even nine year olds have to run out of energy at some point, it would seem.

"Hmmm?"

Awww, looks all sleepy. Suppose could leave her in the car while go to find Sara, but can't quite face the thought of it somehow. Don't want to leave her all alone in car in the middle of the night, doesn't seem right. Or maybe just don't want to face the fact that's she's rapidly growing up.

"We're finally here Josi, just need to find Auntie Sara and then we can finally get home, OK? Are you coming into the airport with me?" Please say yes, Joycelin, please say yes. Don't know why I gave you the option really, more I think about it, more I'm sure really, really not comfortable with idea of leaving you in the car on your own.

"Ohhh, yes! I love airports, they're so much fun!"

Fun? Fun?! Oh good lord, you'd never guess it was midnight judging by her energy levels.

"Right, come on then. How exactly is an airport fun, Josi, explain?"

"Because they're so different from anywhere else you normally go in life, aren't they? Like a massive shopping centre, only more exciting because there are less shops than a shopping centre, and lots of cool trolleys, and…"

Ahhh, she's overtired and hyperactive, brilliant.

"Can I do front aerials in through the revolving doors?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because that's a disaster waiting to happen."

**-0.09am**

Right, and now we wait. Have texted Sara to say am waiting for her at front doors, hoping she turns up soon or else may begin to panic. Had nightmare of a time trying to get hold of her during awful journey here and she sounded distraught last time spoke to her, not sure feel entirely comfortable about fact has been wandering around strange airport in strange country in middle of the night in that sort of state. Know she's perfectly capable of looking after herself, but still, after that crying… worried. Very worried.

Ahhh, there she is. Somehow think a huge hug is needed by both of us.

Shaking. She's shaking, sobbing again. Oh Sara. Hate it when she cries.

"It's OK, Sara. It's OK, it's OK. Come on, shall we get out of here? You can tell me everything in the car."

Slight nod. Looks so defeated, almost heart breaking to see her like this.

Ohhh she's limping.

"You alright? Josi, will you take Auntie Sara's bag please?"

"No, no I'm f-f-fine, just… first t-time I've flown since I fucked up this damn leg…"

"Stiff?"

"Mmm."

Something horribly, horribly wrong if Sara admitting to pain, not good at all. Got fairly good idea by now but can't be sure, just hope I'm wrong. Can't be… can it?

Will quiz her in the car, not doing it here. Last thing need is a meltdown in middle of Heathrow Airport car park.

**-0.17am**

"Jesus it's cold out here!"

"Welcome to England, Auntie Sara!"

"Is it always this fucking cold?!"

"In winter? Oh yes. This is mild." If she wasn't so upset, concept of Sara being in London during December might be just a little bit funny; hasn't left nice hot southern hemisphere in life unless count Arizona and Naples, Italy, in middle of summer. Remember my first experience of English winters, was also stepping off a plane into a freezer. I sympathise, not the nicest of experiences.

"Oh good god, seriously?!" Looks positively panic stricken.

"Well it's not normally quite this bad in the daytime, it is the middle of the night…"

"Sorry."

"No, no, Sara, don't worry about it, it's alright… Josi, will you help me get this in the boot? It's absolutely fine, any time, god knows you've come to my rescue enough times over the years. Come on, get in. We'll have a chat on the way home…"

"And poor Josi, it's so late, she should have been in bed hours ago and she's been stuck in traffic jams coming to pick me up because I'm…"

"It's OK Auntie Sara, I don't mind, honestly. It got me out of piano practise, and Mummy let me try coffee for the first time. Plus I love airports. I really don't mind."

"But you're going to be shattered tomorrow morning for school, darling, and it's all my…"

"I really wouldn't bother apologising for that Sara, she's fine with it. I've promised not to send her into school until after assembly tomorrow, she couldn't be happier. Now come on, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"It's… it's…" Never seen Sara quite this distraught before, rather scary in the flesh. Can't see her properly in the dark but can hear her, sounds like something in between hiccupping and gasping for breath. Just want to make it all better for her.

"It's Pieter, he's…" Oh god. Think I know exactly what she's going to say, just praying I'm wrong…

"He's been fucking some bitch from fucking work!"

Oh god.

Hope Josi's too tired to register too many of those words.

"Oh Sara... how… do you know how long?" Grrrr positively fuming, don't remember being this angry since got left sitting in A and E for fours with Josi when dislocated her knee.

"What does it fucking matter?! Long enough, that's all I fucking know, that poephol! I found the fucking texts on his fucking phone and confronted him, and a fucking screaming match ensued and before I fucking knew it he… he…" Ohhh gosh, sobbing again.

"Oh Sara, tell me?" Hope to god she restrains herself from using the 'f' word again, or else will be well and truly fixed into Joycelin's brain forevermore. Then again, not holding out too much hope.

"He said I was a fucking obnoxious bitch and to get the fuck out of his sight before he fucking smashed something."

Nope, no hope at all.

"Oh Sara, Sara shhh, it's alright, it's alright… I'm sure he didn't mean it Sara, I expect it was heat of the moment, he didn't know how to react and felt angry with himself at what he did so he took it out on you…"

"But he did it in the first place, Niks! He cheated, he fucking… why did he do it?!" Oh god, and she's sobbing again, seems to be getting more and more hysterical.

"I know, I know… oh Sara… we'll sort it, I promise, it'll all be OK. In some ways I think it's probably a really good thing you came out here, it means you can both have some space to cool down…"

"But how can we move on from this, Niks? How can we put this behind us? And even if we could, he… he doesn't want me…"

"Oh Sara, he does, I know he does, he just made a horrible mistake…"

"He doesn't! Why do you think I ended up out here in bloody freezing London, he doesn't want me, he wants me out of his life, he hates me…"

Somehow get the feeling it's going to be a very, very long day to go with the long night.

* * *

**So sorry this is late, it's still the 4th but only just. I just couldn't get it the way I wanted it, I think it's close now but still not there, I wanted to get it up though so I hope it was OK. Let me know please and tomorrow's will be much better, I promise.**

**Flossie xxx**


	5. Friday 5th December 2020

**Friday 5****th**** December 2020**

**Nikki's Diary**

_**First, you think the worst is a broken heart.**_

_**-The Script, Six Degrees of Separation**_

**-7.48am**

"Sara? Sara?" Not sure whether to just go in or not, is a difficult one. One the one hand, think she could still be asleep and given has had few days from hell, think she probably needs all the sleep she can get. On the other hand, however, has done little but lie in bed curled up in a ball and sobbing since arrived here yesterday morning, and in some ways think she's badly in need of a distraction.

Never seen Sara like this before. Never even seen her close.

Haven't managed to get much new information out of her in the last 24 hours. Tried to talk to her about row with Pieter and confession of affair a couple of times but became so distressed so quickly that couldn't quite bring self to go through with it, ended up just dropping it altogether.

Going to have to try harder today, though, as hard as it is. Hate to have to put poor Sara through that but need to know exactly what happened, details have at the moment are… vague, to say the least.

Know enough to be tempted to murder Pieter Lamprecht though.

How could he? That's what I don't understand. Yes, Sara and Pieter's relationship has always been built around hurling insults at each other, but has been that way for so long because works so perfectly between them. The two of them have been together for as long as they have because love each other so much underneath all the mock insults, anyone can see that. But never known Sara to be so upset before, let alone because of something Pieter's done. Known her to be irritated with him, definitely, but never upset, and certainly never distraught like this. Not looking hopeful.

Was so, so tempted to call Pieter yesterday and tell him what think of him, but restrained by Harry and convinced would only make things worse. Probably right, storming in all guns blazing most likely not the best approach. Do feel like need to do something though, Sara seems to have convinced herself marriage is over and sunk into bottomless pit of depression and god only knows what. Need to do something, for both of them. They were so happy together. They will be again, they will. They have to be.

Trouble is, haven't got the faintest idea as to what to do.

"Sara? Sara, are you awake?"

"No."

"I'll take that as a yes then, shall I? Can I come in?"

No response. Screw it, going in anyway, refuse to leave her and let her wallow all day again.

"I thought I said no."

"You did. But I knew you didn't really mean it. How did you sleep?"

"Do you really need to ask me that?"

Not really, can tell she's barely slept for days just by looking for her, but needed to come up with something to fill the silence and was first thing that came into head.

"Listen, Harry's off to work in a minute; I've got the day off today so I'm going to walk Josi to school." Not really meant to have the day off today, begged Leo for rest of the week off and no being on call so could be around for Sara, though haven't told her that part, know she'd insist didn't need a babysitter. Under normal circumstances, would agree. Not under these. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Not really."

"Sara, please? It'll do you good to get out of the house a bit, get some fresh air. And you haven't seen England properly yet, don't forget."

"I don't want to see England properly; I'm going to bloody freeze to death."

"You get used to it. I'll lend you a coat. Come on, please?"

**-7.56am**

"Well?"

"Yep, done it. She's agreed to come with me to walk Josi to school, that's got to be a step in the right direction, right?" Desperately seeking Harry's reassurance over this one, not a clue if am doing the right thing or not. How do you even begin to console someone whose husband of almost 25 years has been unfaithful, possibly multiple times given what little information have managed to extract from Sara? Not the faintest idea, having to make it up as I go along.

"Of course it is. Well done, my love. She's not going to get anywhere if we let her sit around dwelling on it all day, we need to try and take her mind off it all somehow."

"Do we? I don't know. It's not like she's broken up with her boyfriend or something, Harry, it's not like when Charlie's last boyfriend dumped her, is it? They've been married for 25 years, that's what I don't understand…"

"Should we really be talking about this right now?"

"Yep, it's fine, don't worry. She's in the shower, those pipes are so loud we'll know as soon as she's finished. I just don't understand how after all this time…"

"I know. I mean, I know they've always had their disagreements, but anyone who knows them can see they love each other, it's just…"

"A fundamental part of their relationship?"

"Exactly. No, something's not right. It doesn't make sense. Do you think Sara's telling you everything?"

"I don't know. The trouble is, she hasn't really told me very much at all, not yet, anyway. I'm going to work on her today, see if I can get her to talk."

"Good luck."

"Thanks. Harry?"

"Yes, my love?"

"You don't think we'll end up like that, do you?"

"What? Of course we won't Nikki, of course not. I love you far, far too much to ever let that happen."

"Awww I love you too." Ohhh hugs, Harry hugs make everything better. Could stay here in his arms forever, so warm and comforting that just for a moment, can forget all about Sara and Pieter and worrying about what on earth am going to do to attempt to remedy the situation. Just for a moment.

"You need to get going to work. Leo's not going to be happy if he's two pathologists down on a Friday, is he?"

"True. Ohhh, I meant to ask you! Christmas decorations tomorrow? Or is the sixth too early?"

"Absolutely not, that sounds like a fantastic idea. See you later, love you."

"Love you too."

**-8.17am**

"Josi?"

"Yes, Mummy?"

"Can we please get going? Preferably before it's too late to walk and I have to drive you to school, you get one of those hedgehog sticker things if you walk on a Friday, remember? So come on, leave whatever it is you're doing and… hang on, what are you doing?!"

"Putting on mascara. It's really fiddly! I haven't got it all over my eyelids, have I?"

Oh good lord, she hasn't she's put it on perfectly. If anything, think that's possibly more worrying.

"But… but you're nine!"

"Exactly!"

"What do you mean, exactly? You're far too young to be wearing mascara, you're tiny!"

"What's that got to do with anything? Do you have to be a certain height to be allowed to wear make-up not in dance shows? Because if you do then I'll never be allowed to!"

"What?" Awww bless her, she comes out with the cutest things sometimes. "No Josi, I just mean… look, nine's far too young to be wearing mascara."

"Do I have to wash it off?"

"Nope, we haven't got time, we're running late as it is. But you're not wearing it again."

"But some of the other girls in my class do!"

"I don't care if they do Joycelin, the fact remains that you're going to be late for school soon if you don't… hang on, what?!" But… but they're nine! Nine!

"It's nothing new Niks, Danika had this conversation with Anouk last week. The world's gone mad."

Well, she's sounding a bit more like herself. Although have a nasty feeling Sara's not just referring to nine year olds experimenting with mascara. Will get her to talk later. Am determined this time.

**-8.56am**

Right, this is my chance. Joycelin dropped off at school and on the way home, nice quiet road, practically alone. If she won't talk now I give up.

"Sara?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you… have you thought about what you're going to do? You can stay with Harry and me as long as you like, of course you can, but have you thought at all about what you're going to do, you know… in terms of…?"

"My lying, cheating, back-stabbing arsehole of a husband?"

Yep, that would be the one. Can always trust Sara to say it like it is, including where own marriage is concerned, it would seem. Especially where own marriage is concerned.

"Sara…" Going to have to be very, very careful how I play this one. "He does still love you, I know he does."

"No you don't. How can you know that? You haven't seen him since Christmas Niks…"

"Oh, so everything's been different for months, has it? Come on Sara, don't try and tell me he's been off you for months, I've spoken to him enough recently to know that's not true. He _does_ still love you…"

"Does he?! Then why did he run off with some young pretty 20 something year old then? Hey?"

"Oh Sara… well he didn't exactly run off, did he…" Ahhh nope, going to abandon that angle, can tell from the look in her eyes that's not going to work out too well. "How… do you know how many times…?"

"Multiple, that's obvious from those texts, the bastard!" Ohhh gosh she's crying now, exactly what I was afraid of. But will persevere. Need to get more information out of her if going to be any help at all.

"Do you think maybe he's having a mid-life crisis?"

"No, he had one of those years ago, remember? When he decided to take up surfing again and failed miserably, fucking idiot."

"Well yes, I know… " Oh god, not getting anywhere here. "Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"I just don't see how he could go from loving and caring one minute to…"

"Shagging some bitch from work instead?"

"Well… yes. It just doesn't make any sense to me, Sara, it's not Pieter at all, is it? Not really. I accept that he's done something terrible, I can't deny that, but I just wonder if he got angry with you and kicked you out because he couldn't bear the thought of how badly he'd hurt you? Maybe?"

"Maybe. I don't know… I… how are we meant to move on from this, Niks? Some of the things he said, I… But…"

"But what? Sara?"

"I still love him! How is it he can hurt me this badly and I still love him?"

* * *

**Day 5- I'm getting back on track and there's more H/N in the next one, I promise. Hope it's OK, I don't feel like this is any good this year :( PLease do let me know if you're enjoying it, won't you? **

**Flossie xxx**


	6. Saturday 6th December 2020

**Saturday 6****th**** December 2020**

**Harry's Diary**

**-9.23am**

Ahhh it's the weekend, thank god for that. Been a long week to say the least; dread to even think how tired Nikki must be, has been far worse for her what with Sara arriving out of the blue and the whole thing with Pieter.

Sara… that's a whole other issue in itself. Wish could say she seems at least a little bit better than when she arrived in early hours of Thursday morning, though not convinced she does. Really not convinced at all. Think Nikki may have started to make some small progress with her yesterday; managed to get her out of house on physical front (even if was only to walk Joycelin to school and back in the morning and come along for the ride to pick her up from dancing in the evening, complaining about English Arctic conditions all the way) and to confess that still loves Pieter with all her heart on the emotional front. That's got to be a start.

Trouble is, Sara still completely and utterly convinced Pieter doesn't love her anymore. And hate to say it, but based on evidence presented so far, can see where she's coming from.

Nikki and I are going to have to do something. Nikki tried yesterday all day long from what I can gather, but seems that Sara hasn't given much information regarding Pieter and 'young pretty bitch from work' because doesn't know much herself. All Nikki's managed to get out of her is that discovered texts on his phone by accident when went off seven times in the space of five minutes while he was in the shower, so checked it for him thinking it was work and he was being called out to a case. So stormed into bathroom and confronted him about it (am guessing confrontation while stark naked probably didn't get things off to the best of starts in Pieter's book), fight ensued, Pieter called her a, to quote from Sara 'fucking obnoxious bitch' and kicked her out. And so Sara, with nowhere else to go due to all three children being away at university and having their own lives she didn't want to disturb and no one else to impose on, turned up at Heathrow Airport and the rest we all know only too well.

So all in all, operation extract all information needed to get Sara and Pieter back together from Sara herself was a complete and utter disaster.

Going to have to suggest to Nikki we try a new approach and call Pieter. Will get her to do it, she's known him for longer. Probably best to get her to do it, she'll be able to deal with him better.

Of course, that decision has absolutely nothing to do with fact that can imagine Pieter being just a little bit intimidating. Obviously. Nothing at all.

But going to try not to worry about that just now, got all weekend to come up with a proper battle plan on that one. Most likely longer than all weekend, one thing Nikki did manage to establish over lunch in front of trashy South African version of Sex and the City yesterday was that Sara has nowhere else to go, and therefore will be staying here for the foreseeable future provided is alright with us. Which it is, obviously. Know she's looked after Nikki often enough, least we can do to take her in now. Poor thing. God only knows what on earth was going through Pieter's head, wish I knew. Absolutely no way am I ever doing that to Nikki. Never ever. Love her far too much to ever even think of doing that.

The thing is though, thought Pieter loved Sara far too much to ever even contemplate doing that, too.

Ahhh, definitely not going to worry about that though, not now beautiful wife is stirring.

"Morning, my love. Sleep well?" Awww kiss woke her up slightly, is blinking hazily. Looks so, so beautiful half asleep.

"Mmm… what time is it?"

"Twenty past nine, or there abouts. It's OK, it's Saturday, we can lie in bed as long as we like."

"No we can't, we have a nine year old who's probably causing havoc as we speak and a guest who's feeling fragile at the moment to say the least…"

"But we don't need to worry about Sara at the moment because we have a rather fantastically grown up and understanding nine year old who's engaging her in a distracting game of Playmobil A and E as we speak. I looked in on them earlier, they're fine, promise. Sara's in her element, she's teaching Josi about pacemakers and cardiac arrests with plastic surgical instruments small enough to fit up a vacuum cleaner. They'll be fine for a bit longer, and then I'll take Josi to choose a Christmas tree and you can continue distracting Sara from it all by raiding the attic for Christmas decorations with her. It'll all be fine."

"Is that really a good idea?"

"Hmm? Leg still not brilliant?" Know Sara will never admit to it without a fight, but has never quite been the same since was shot in the thigh at Peppertree Mortuary three years ago.

"You didn't see her when Josi and I went to pick her up from the airport, she wouldn't admit to it entirely but she was in agony, I could tell. I'm not convinced going up to the attic is the best idea."

"Fair enough. Right, well in a minute we'll get up and get the Christmas decorations down, and then while Josi and I are choosing a tree you and Sara can start decorating. It'll be fine, I promise. Nikki?"

"Hmm?"

"We don't have to get up just yet though, you know."

"Ahhh, now that's a very good point Dr Cunningham, a very good point indeed."

"Have I told you how beautiful you're looking this morning, Dr Alexander?"

"You know Dr Cunningham, I don't believe you have."

"I'll just have to show you how beautiful you are then, won't I?"

"I think you will Dr Cunningham. You don't look bad yourself."

Love kissing her. Tastes of warm summer days in Africa and happiness and sunshine. Perfect. Just perfect.

* * *

Hope that was OK, sorry it's shorter than usual but the next one's longer and I have been rushed off my feet! Hope you enjoyed it and thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, you guys are just the best.

Love Flossie xxx


	7. Sunday 7th December 2020

**Sunday 7****th**** December 2020**

**Nikki's Diary**

**-9.14am**

"Morning Mummy!"

"Morning sweetheart. You're up late."

"Am I? I had a strange dream about rhinoceroses, it wasn't very nice."

"Awww, did you? Why, what was wrong with the rhinoceroses? I thought you liked them?"

"I do! But then last night I had a dream that they were chasing me across the beach near where Ouma lives and they chased me right out into the sea, and I sank to the bottom like James Bond does in the opening credits of Skyfall and then I woke up."

"Did you? Classic falling dream Josi, are you worried about something?"

"Hmm? Mummy, what does falling have to do with being worried about something?"

"No idea darling, apparently there's a link. You'll have to ask Grandma Janet next time you see her."

"OK then. Mummy?"

"Yes? Do you want some toast?"

"Yes please. When I woke up from my rhino dream I went to the bathroom, and then I came downstairs to get a glass of water and when I came back upstairs I heard sobbing coming from Auntie Sara's room."

Ahhh. Thought she was building up to telling me something important.

"Did you? Oh Josi, you mustn't worry. Auntie Sara's having a very difficult time at the moment but she's got us to look after her, and before long I'm sure everything will be sorted out and…"

"You mean with Uncle Pieter? Are they going to get divorced? Because that's what Katherine's mum and dad did when Katherine's mum sexed another man."

Oh good lord, given number of times Sara used the word 'fuck' in various shapes and forms while had her on speaker in the car headed to collect her from Heathrow was almost certain Joycelin had added that word to her vocabulary, though was used by Sara in so many different contexts didn't think she would have picked up on what it actually meant. Once again, appear to have severely underestimated her.

"Joycelin don't use that word please, it's not nice. Hang on… Katherine in your class? Katherine Harrington?" Blimey, know the mother quite well after Harry and I made grave mistake of attending School Parent Association quiz night last summer (never again) can't quite imagine… wow.

"Yes, her mum. Didn't you know that, Mummy? Everyone was talking about it in the playground for weeks."

Why is it even at this age, the kids have more gossip than the parents do? Love gossip, almost enough to make me want to hang around the trim trail at break time to get filled in on all the parents' social lives. And sex lives, it would seem.

"Right… Hang on, so you and your friends all talk about your parents at break time, do you?"

"Sometimes. Is there any of that strawberry Philadelphia stuff?"

"Yep, in the fridge. So do you talk about Daddy and me?" Uh oh, not sure I really want to know the answer to that one.

"Sometimes."

"And what do you say?"

"Stuff."

"Like?"

"Like work stuff. You know, what you and Daddy do. I like making everyone all squeamish by telling them about heart dissections and cool stuff like that. Mummy?"

"Yes?"

"You never answered my question. Are Auntie Sara and Uncle Pieter going to get divorced?"

Ohhh gosh, how do I even begin answering that one? Not to mention Sara herself will be up soon. This is going to go well.

"I… I don't know Josi. I don't know."

"But they love each other, right?"

"Well, yes darling, but…"

"Sometimes love isn't enough?"

How does she come up with this stuff? Sure she must be nine going on ninety sometimes.

"Well no Josi, not exactly… it's very complicated, darling, the only people who can really tell what might happen are Auntie Sara and Uncle Pieter themselves and even they don't know for certain yet. So for now we've just got to be here for Auntie Sara and help her work through all this the best we can, OK?"

"OK. So you can't promise it'll all be alright in the end?"

"Oh Josi, I wish I could. Auntie Sara's just here because she and Uncle Pieter need some space for a bit, so they can work out what they want to do. And maybe they'll get back together, or maybe they might decide to call it a day, I don't know. But whatever happens, we'll still be there for both of them and we'll do our best to help them through it."

"OK then. So… so Auntie Sara might still be here at Christmas?"

"She might be, yes."

"Ohhh!" Awww bless her, looks so excited. Can rest safe in the knowledge that if Sara does indeed end up staying here for Christmas, is going to be made to feel more than welcome.

Ohhh, can hear footsteps, someone coming downstairs. Know for a fact darling husband is in the shower, so…

"Morning Sara! I'm just making breakfast, do you want some toast?"

Feels slightly weird to have her here and be doing all this in reverse for once; first time Sara has come to visit us in London and never allows me anywhere near kitchen at hers, not since disastrous incident when first went round for dinner, while I was still her student.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"Sure?" Getting worried about her, has barely touched anything in the way of food since she got here, surely my cooking can't be _that_ bad?

"Positive. I'll have a coffee though if there's one going."

"Yep, I can do coffee." Looks like she's been crying all night, poor thing, desperately need some form of distraction. Ohhh I know.

"Now tell me Sara, what are you like at costume making?"

"Hmm?" Hehehe, looks thoroughly confused and a little more like herself already, not often I get the chance to outsmart her.

"Costume making. Josi's in her dance school's Christmas show next weekend, apparently I need to make her a Bellatrix costume." Bloody dance teacher decided to declare via email yesterday wants all costumes ready for dress rehearsal Wednesday night, ridiculous. Know what I'm spending today doing.

"A what?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange, Auntie Sara, from Harry Potter."

"You know, Helena Bonham Carter's character."

"For your Christmas dance show?" Love Sara's confused face, don't get to see it very often and therefore have to make the most of it when I do.

"Ja, we're doing Christmas at Hogwarts."

"Christmas at Hogwarts? What happened to the Nutcracker and all that?"

"Miss Michelle has decided that's boring and predictable and she wants to be original this year."

"So you're doing Christmas at Hogwarts? That's actually brilliant!"

"I know, isn't it? It's really cool, it kind of follows the plot of Harry Potter in parts but in other parts it's just really Christmassy, we have lots of fake snow."

"And you're Bellatrix?"

Result, knew this plan would work. Know Sara used to dance when she was Josi's age, still gets ridiculously excited by it all even now. Plus own daughter Zaretta is grown up and studying Biochemistry at university, so too old to make creative Bellatrix-Lestrange-esque dance costumes for. Am officially a genius, best distraction ever.

"Yep. It's really fun, I get to be evil and go around throwing the fake snow, and I have a wand, and it's so cool! But I have to do a solo in the middle and Miss Michelle's making me do illusion turns and then I have to do a split leap out of my pirouettes, and I'm not very good at that bit yet."

"Awww, you will be by next week though."

"No I won't, it's really hard!"

"Yes you will, I'll sort you out if your teacher hasn't by Wednesday, OK? Promise. Do you know what sort of costume you need?"

"Umm… a Bellatrix one? I have a black tutu and a wand, and Miss Michelle's going to get the big girls who do the hair and makeup to backcomb my hair so I look a bit crazy, because Bellatrix is a bit crazy, isn't she?"

"Definitely, on another planet. Who's your favourite Harry Potter character?"

"Well I used to think Hermione, because she's really clever and she gets Ron at the end, and she has a pet cat. But now I have to be Bellatrix lots of times a week in dance class I think she might be my new favourite, because it's lots of fun being evil. Even if Megan does kill me at the end."

"I take it Megan's playing Mrs Weasley?"

"Yes, that's right."

"So you get killed, on stage, at the end of a Christmas dance show?"

"Yep! It's really cool actually, I get to throw myself off this turret thing onto lots of mats."

"At Christmas?"

"Well yes, because it's Hogwarts Christmas, and I'm evil, and we don't want evil people in Hogwarts at Christmas."

"That's very true. So Mummy and I have to make you look really evil, do we? That shouldn't be too hard!"

"Hey, that's not fair!"

"What's not fair?" Ahhh, darling husband has finally surfaced.

"Morning you. We're discussing Josi's Bellatrix costume for Christmas at Hogwarts."

"Oh, I see. And what's not fair?"

"Auntie Sara says she's not going to have to try very hard to make me look evil!"

"Awww we'll have to try very, very hard to make you look evil my darling, I promise. Am I allowed to come and watch you?"

"Of course you are, you could go with Mummy and Daddy on Saturday?"

"That sounds perfect, I'd love to come. Now, what were you saying about illusion turns?"

Ohhh darling husband is leaning over, can't quite work out whether is trying to kiss or whisper in ear. Seems to be a combination of both…

"Well done."

Will pull him into a hug so can reply without drawing too much attention to ourselves, perfect excuse to hold him. "What for?"

"Operation distraction, it's rather brilliant, that one. Not only does Sara have something to take her mind off everything but Josi's hopefully going to stop stressing about those turn thingys and we've got someone vaguely artistic to sort out her Bellatrix costume."

"Oi, I'm vaguely artistic!"

"Very vaguely!"

"Still counts! Harry? We're going to have to do it, aren't we?"

Is frowning now, looks a little nervous. "Do what?"

"Phone Pieter. We can't avoid it forever."

* * *

**Massive, massive apologies for falling behind, blame xmas dance show :P That's all over now though which means I'm more or less free, and I PROMISE to get up to speed and begin the proper xmassyness in the next couple of days, provided you guys leave me nice reviews. PLease? I'm worried this isn't as good as last years, if you're enjoying please reassure me it's not rubbish? PLease? And I promise to catch up on reviewing myself asap now the dance show's over :) **

**Love Flossie xxx**


	8. Monday 8th December 2012

**Monday 8****th**** December 2020**

**Sara's Diary**

**-7.02am**

Not waking up. Refuse to, don't want to wake up. Would be so much easier if could just spend entire day sleeping, can't dwell on the bad stuff when asleep. Admittedly dreams aren't always brilliant, especially in light of… recent events, but dreamless sleep is perfectly acceptable. Would quite happily spend whole day in state of dreamless sleep, blissfully unaware of fucking mess life has become. Sadly, not really an option.

May attempt to go back to sleep. Sevenish in the morning, which means Harry, Niks and Josi will be getting ready to leave soon. Niks going into work for first time since I've been here today, told her not to waste any more of her holiday allowance on me. Which she agreed to, but only on the basis I came in with her. Told her I'd think about it. In some ways, think seeing what English mortuaries are like might be quite exciting; is not like have seen much of England so far, after all. Bet Harry and Niks have it far, far easier than in South Africa, would be able to remind them of it constantly when complaining about number of cases dealing with at present and all that. And would be nice to see Leo, too, haven't seen him since he and family came to… to… to mine and Pieter's last Christmas. Maybe should drag self out of bed and tell Niks I'm going with her.

However, on the other hand can't be bothered. Might not have seen much of England at all so far, but have gathered plenty of experience of English weather without needing to leave the house. Is bloody freezing. And bed is nice and warm, temptation to stay here and pretend to still be asleep when Niks looks in to see if am awake or not. As she inevitably will. Should be fed up with her for treating me like a child but somehow can't be, actually a little touched. Is rather sweet. Makes me feel better about it all somehow, even though can't quite explain why.

Though that said, still going to lie here perfectly still and pretend am asleep.

**-7.08am**

Ohhh can hear the door opening. Right, will lie still, breathe slowly and hope and pray she thinks am spark out. More I think about it, more am absolutely sure can't be doing with coming into work with Harry and Niks today. Feel so… don't know… alone and miserable, maybe? Can't quite explain exactly what it is, but feel as if someone had torn hulking great hole in heart and done a horrific job of stitching it back together. Naming no names, of course. Pieter fucking Lamprecht. Bastard. Poephol.

_Don't, Sara, don't. Only going to set yourself off again if you do._

"Auntie Sara? Auntie Sara, are you awake?"

Ahhh, not Niks, is Josi. Damn. Going to feel bad about ignoring Josi and pretending to be asleep. Not that wouldn't feel bad about ignoring Nikki, of course, but given Joycelin's only nine and all cute and innocent, seems so much worse somehow. Oh, the dilemma.

"Auntie Sara? You'll never guess what! If you're awake then you have to get up, Auntie Sara, it's snowing!"

Ohhhhh! LOVE snow, even though have never actually seen any before. Only ever seen it in pictures and movies and is SO pretty, love how everything looks covered in snow, something rather magical about it. Must be even more beautiful in the flesh, all pure and white and delicate and…

Oh screw it.

"Hmmm?" Will sit up slowly and pretend to be half asleep, that way can have a nice chat with her and curl back up under covers if Nikki comes in later without arising too much suspicion. Nine is such a good age, remember when my three were nine. They come out with the cutest things around that age.

"It's snowing, Auntie Sara! It's so exciting, I woke up and I looked out of the window and the garden was all snowy and pretty! And there's loads of it, and the roads haven't been salted because the… the people who normally salt the roads weren't expecting anywhere near this much snow, and it's really exciting because when we looked out of the hall window even Daddy had to admit that it looks just like it did when it snowed last year, and I couldn't go to school for two days!"

Damn, screw the pretending to still be half asleep plan. Joycelin being excited about snow is so adorable that somehow seems to have managed to push horrible thoughts of marriage being over and husband being a fucking bastard right to back of mind, just for the time being.

"Is it? Wow, it's snowing properly?! Proper snowflakes and everything? I've never seen proper snow before, Josi, did you know that?"

"Of course I did, you told me last year when I told you we had lots of snow here, remember? It's so exciting! Are you coming to see?"

"Oh alright then, come on. Where do we need to go to see it, back garden?"

"It doesn't matter, it's everywhere! You'll probably be able to see it out of this window, come and look!"

"One second darling, I'll just come and see…" Damn leg ceases up in the bloody cold, could well be a fucking nightmare trying to get out of bed too damn quickly. Grrr so bloody irritating.

"Auntie Sara, are you alright?"

"I'm fine sweetheart, don't worry, just having issues with this leg…"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive Josi, it's alright. Come on then, can you see the snow from here…?"

Ohhhh you can! So exciting, whole garden is all white and pretty and peaceful somehow, looks like a scene from the front of a post card only in real life… ohhhh and still snowing! So amazing, always imagined it would be lot like rain in real life but doesn't look much like rain at all, far more delicate and innocent somehow. Rain is so violent and hammers against windows, whereas snow falls much more gently, floats down all elegantly, so, so pretty.

"Josi? Are you opening the window?! It's going to be freezing in here!"

"I know, but it'll only be open for a minute, and look!" She's leaning out of the window now, stretching her hands out into the cold. "You can catch the snowflakes!"

Ohhh looks like so much fun, going to have to try it…

"Ohhh, it's cold!"

"Of course it is, it's snow! It's really pretty, isn't it?"

So cold yet still so pretty, normally hate the cold with an absolute passion but love this just as much as always thought I would. So, so delicate, falls into your hands so softly and melts away into a pool of water, still freezing cold but not in an unpleasant way somehow, strangely calming. Can't even find the words to describe it.

"It's… it's amazing. Ohhh and it's settling on the windowsill, look!"

"I know, that's why it's so exciting! Sometimes it snows here and I get all excited but it's slushy snow not proper snow, which is really mean of the weather, I think, because it lets me think I might be getting a day off school and then the pavements and roads stay clear and Mummy and Daddy send me in anyway."

"Awww do they? They don't let you go outside and play in the snow?" This stuff is SO amazing, if my kids were here and still Josi's age would totally let them stay off school to play in the snow. In fact, think if they were here the age they are now, would still strongly advise them to take the day off to play in it. Snow is just fantastic stuff, end of.

"Well they do let me play in the snow, but only after school or at the weekends. But that's OK, because my teachers at school normally give us extra break time when it's been snowing, because they say they've learnt over the years that children don't normally get very much work done when it's been snowing and we could be making snow angels in the playground."

"Snow angels?"

"Ja, snow angels, haven't you heard of them? They're really fun, you lie down in the snow and move your arms and legs from side to side and then you stand up and it looks like you have angel wings! And then you can build snowmen, and have snowball fights…"

Ohhhh all sounds like so much fun, wish I could be nine years old again. Then again, is my first time ever seeing snow, so technically that gives me permission to act like a child…. Right?

"So what do you reckon, Josi? Is this enough snow for a day off school?"

"I think so, shall I go and ask Mummy?"

"Yep, you do that, I'll be with you in a minute, OK?"

All so exciting, this whole snow thing, it really is. But small part of me can't help thinking that would have had so much fun pelting Pieter in snowballs around Harry and Nikki's garden. Just want him back.

**-7.24am**

Ahhh, just come down the stairs to find Cunningham family sat around kitchen table in pyjamas and making cooked breakfast, am guessing both school and work is off given the complete lack of sense of urgency. Will try best not to think about pure amazingness of Pieter's cooked breakfasts. _No Sara, no. Don't even go there._

"Morning Sara! I gather Josi's already showed you the snow. Coffee?"

"Yes please. Yep, I barely had the chance to open both eyes before she was on top of me."

"Josi! I thought I told you to try and contain yourself until Auntie Sara was awake!"

Uh oh, got her in trouble. "Awww no she's fine Niks, it doesn't matter. I was beginning to wake up anyway and Josi's right, the snow's definitely too good to miss. It's so exciting, isn't it? Josi's going to show me how to make snow angels!"

"So it's as good as you've always imagined it then?" Nikki looks rather amused, suspect is at my excitement at prospect of London being covered in snow.

"It's amazing, god only knows why it's taken me so long to visit somewhere cold enough for snow!"

"Maybe the fact that you're a complete wimp when it comes to cold weather not involving the white stuff?" Can't beat Harry's sense of humour, really can't.

"Yes, thanks for that! So what's happening then, are you two off to work or…"

"Nope, not today, can't get there. That's the one bad thing about snow Sara, we're never prepared for it here, one tiny snowflake and the whole country goes into meltdown, no pun intended."

"Fair enough. What about Josi?"

"School's cancelled! So we can all go to the park and have a mass snowball fight! I think Grandma and Granddad and Jenna and Jasper and Jacob might be going to the park later, we could go to meet them!"

Ahhh good, looks like will get to see Leo, Janet and offspring after all. Day surrounded by small children in the snow probably a good thing, will take mind off fucking nightmare life is turning into at the moment.

Just wish was able to share it with _him._

* * *

**I'm getting there, I'm catching up! Almost up to speed, I promise :) Thank you so much to all my wonderful reviewers, you guys are fantastic and please do keep them coming. More snow tomorrow for you, and of course the dreaded phonecall's coming up too... ;)**

**The story image thing is indeed Sara btw, though it's from the movie Sleeper's Wake in which Amanda Lane (Sara) plays 'Rebecca.' When the character isn't actually on the show very much you have to improvise :P**

**Flossie xxx**


	9. Tuesday 9th December 2020

**Tuesday 9****th**** December 2012**

**Nikki's Diary**

**-10.38am**

"Harry?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you absolutely positive you don't want to do this?"

"Completely. Completely and utterly 100% certain. You can do it."

"Harrryyy! Do I have to?" Eeeek don't want to do this, really, really don't want to do this at all. Have spent past few days debating with Harry which one of us should be the one to phone Pieter back in Cape Town and attempt to do something to fix broken pieces of his and Sara's relationship. Neither of us particularly enthusiastic, both in agreement that this could go one of two ways. Best case scenario is this: one of us has nice chat with Pieter, manages to establish exactly what was going through his mind when he decided to cheat on his wife, convinces him he still loves her and to beg her to forgive him and take him back. Which, judging by Sara's current tendency to burst into tears sporadically and photo of Pieter under spare room pillow (thought that was the kind of thing people only did in films, apparently not) she'll be more than happy to comply with.

Worst case scenario, however, is this: Pieter is still every bit as angry as apparently was the day Sara confronted him RE affair and left for Heathrow, shouts at whichever one of us makes the call and whole situation becomes ten times worse. Not sure which way events are more likely to swing; my guess is it's 50/50. Hence not particularly wanting to be the one to make the phone call.

"Nikkiiiii! But you've known him for longer! In fact, you've known both of them more or less since they got together, right? So it only makes sense that you're the one who phones!"

"But… but you're the man!"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"I don't know… ummm… you're both male… you can have a proper man-to-man discussion?"

"That's got to be the worst attempt to palm responsibility off onto someone else I've ever heard."

"Harryyyyy! Oh fine, I'll do it." No way am I going to get out of this one, can tell he's not going to give in. "And you're sure Sara's otherwise engaged?"

"Positive, she's out in the garden with Joycelin, they're pelting each other with snowballs. Judging by their activities yesterday I'd say you've got another twenty minutes max before they'll be invading the kitchen wanting hot chocolate."

"Perfect. Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Do I really have…?"

"Yep, don't even think about wriggling out of this one Nicola Cunningham! You're doing it!"

"God I love it when you call me that."

"Later, you! Don't try and distract me, it's not going to work! I'm shutting the door and leaving you to it, don't you even think about coming out until you've made that call!"

Uh oh. Going to have to bite the bullet and do it, aren't I?

Dialling. Ohhh gosh feel incredibly nervous all of a sudden, great deal of responsibility is attached to this phone call and its outcome. In fact, now think about it, can't remember being this nervous since first time was invited round to Sara and Pieter's house donkey's years ago, while was still Sara's protégée. Don't even want to attempt to work out how many years ago that was, will be far too depressing. Where on earth has the time gone?!

Ohhhh, connected. No getting out of it now.

_"Hallo?"_

"Hi Pieter, it's Nikki." Moment of truth, slightly worried may have the phone slammed down on me before even have time to properly get going. Would be rather out of character behaviour for Pieter, although then again entire affair thing is rather out of character behaviour for him. Going to have to tread incredibly carefully.

"Oh hi Nikki, how's things? Haven't spoken to you for ages!"

Doesn't seem to be going too badly so far, thank god.

"Not too bad thanks, we've had snow all of today and yesterday and London's pretty much gone into shutdown, but Josi's having a great time playing in it so I suppose it's not all bad. And snow does make everything very How about you?"

This is going to be the real test.

"Ahhh… ummmm… I'm OK thanks… just waiting for the kids to be done with uni for Christmas and then it'll be pretty crazy round here, you know what it's like…"

"Pieter?"

"Hmmm?"

"I know."

"Know what?" Can tell he knows exactly what from the tone of his voice, just doesn't want to admit to it. Well this is going to go well.

"About… about you and Sara." Damn, said it now, can't go back.

Silence.

"What's Sara been telling you?"

"I… she's really upset, Pieter, I…"

"Is she staying with you?"

How am I meant to answer that one?

"She is at the moment, yes. Pieter she's so upset, I'm not trying to judge, I don't know what went on between you two, but…"

"Don't be stupid, of course you do. What shit's she been telling you?"

"I…" Ohhhh gosh, not going well at all. "Honestly Pieter, it's not like that…"

"Well what is it like, then? The two of you talking bullshit about me behind my back when I'm not there to fucking defend myself, is that it?!"

"No Pieter, not at all, I…"

"I don't need her crap, OK?! Tell her it's over, didn't she get the message?! Tell her to piss off and leave me the hell alone!"

Line's dead.

That went well. On the disaster scale, think that probably ranks pretty high. Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god what have I done?

* * *

**Told you the phone call was coming ;) hope it was OK, I'm not convinced by it, please do let me know what you think of it. coming soon... Sara and Josi tackle the London Underground :P**

**Flossie xxx**


	10. Wednesday 10th December 2020

**Wednesday 10****th**** December 2020**

**Joycelin's Diary**

**-7.37am**

"So you and Daddy are going to work today, Mummy?"

"Yep, unfortunately so. The roads around here are more or less clear now but Grandma and Granddad still can't get off their estate too well because the snow's all frozen over, so Daddy and I are going to go in today and hold the fort."

"At least, that's what they told us."

Hmmm? "What do you mean, Daddy?"

"I mean we don't actually know Grandma and Granddad can't get off of their estate, that's just what Granddad told us on the phone this morning."

"Ohhhh, you mean they're making it up so they can have an extra day off work?" That's not very fair, if they're pretending that they can't get their car out and so Mummy and Daddy have to go into work all day to cover for them. "Isn't that illegal?"

"Illegal?! No, no Josi, it's not illegal."

"But they're cheating the system! They're pretending to be stuck at home and getting out of having to work but getting paid anyway, that's… that's… that's benefit fraud!"

"Benefit fraud? No Josi, that's not benefit fraud, benefit fraud is when people get given money from the government because they've told them they can't work or they can't find a job, when in fact there's nothing wrong with them to stop them working and they don't really need the money."

"Exactly, that's what Grandma and Granddad are doing! They're telling the government that they can't work because they can't get there because of all the ice, but actually they can work and they just fancy the day off!"

"Who's committing benefit fraud?" Auntie Sara just appeared in kitchen, can't remember her being up this early in the whole week she's been staying with Mummy and Daddy and me. Hmmm, maybe that means she's feeling better? I hope so. I don't like it when she's feeling sad and crying all the time.

"Grandma and Granddad are, they're…"

"Not they're not, Nikki and I were just telling Josi how we're both going into work all day today because Leo and Janet are still snowed in- well, iced in."

"But my school's still closed Auntie Sara, so I get to stay at home with you!"

"And luckily for Joycelin, her teacher has decided that her class can't possibly afford to miss a whole three days of school in a row, so he's emailed some work sheets home for her to hand in tomorrow when hopefully school will be open again."

"What?!" Nobody told me about this! Was planning on spending the day reading Harry Potter again, playing archaeologists and asking Auntie Sara about when she was an anthropologist in Pompeii, she always tells me brilliant stories, which are extra exciting because they all actually happened.

"You heard me, you've got work to do today, Josi!"

"What sort?!"

"No idea, I haven't looked at the email yet. But I have looked at one your dance teacher sent me and today's dress rehearsal is postponed until tomorrow when hopefully most of the ice will have melted and everyone will be able to get there safely, so at least we don't have to worry about getting you there."

"Oh, OK. So that means you and Auntie Sara didn't have to stay up until after midnight finishing off my Bellatrix costume after all?"

"Pretty much. Now, you're going to be good for Auntie Sara today, aren't you? Promise me you'll do all your homework before you start throwing snowballs at each other?"

"Do I have to?" Urgh bet it's French homework, HATE French homework. This is so unfair.

"Yep. Josi?" she's whispering now, can see Daddy talking to Auntie Sara about something with long, complicated sciencey names on the other side of the kitchen. "Look after Auntie Sara for me today, won't you?"

"Of course I will. Why? Is she still heartbroken?"

"Heartbroken?" Mummy's smiling, don't know what she seems to be finding so funny.

"Yes, isn't that the condition you're suffering from when your husband's…?"

"No, not exactly a condition, Josi, it's just a saying… look, just be sensitive, won't you darling? And if there are any problems you'll give me or Daddy a call? The number's on the fridge."

"I know."

"Good girl. I'll see you later, OK? I love you."

**-9.01am**

"Josi?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to come and do these homework sheets now?"

"Do I have to?"

"Well… no, I suppose not. But if you don't then your mummy and daddy are going to slaughter me, and you don't want that, do you?"

Grrrr fine. "No, I suppose not. What do I have to do?"

"Ummm… Christmas-based maths questions by the looks of it… if Santa has 143 carrots to share equally between his 7 reindeer, how many carrots will be left over?"

"Is that long division?"

"Not telling you, you're going to have to work it out yourself. And then you've got to do a French vocabulary word search, it seems to be on a snow theme, and then you're writing some sentences about what you like doing in the snow..."

"In French?"

"No, in Italian. Of course in French, what else would it be in?"

"But I hate French!"

"No you don't, we've had this discussion, remember?"

"We have, but I still don't like it! It's not that I don't try to, it's my teacher's fault, the lessons are always so boring!" Ohhhh just had a rather brilliant idea…

"Auntie Sara?"

"Hmmm?"

"Will you teach me some Italian?" Know Auntie Sara can speak some Italian, because she mentioned it when she first started telling me about when she was an anthropologist in Pompeii.

"After you've done your French homework, I will."

"Please? How about I do the word search, and then we can do the sentences together in Italian?"

"Isn't that going to confuse the hell out of your teacher?"

"Oh no, Mr Roberts won't mind. I doubt Italian will be any more of a challenge for him than French is, the longest he's ever managed to go without looking up words in his English-French dictionary in one of our French lessons is three minutes and seven seconds. Jasper and I timed it."

"Did you now? God, you remind me of your mother Joycelin Cunningham. And you promise you'll cooperate if we do them together in Italian?"

"I promise, Italian is much more exciting than French! It sounds a bit like French but it's prettier than French, don't you think?"

"Well, that's a matter of personal preference, I think Josi."

"True. So… so you can speak Afrikaans, English, French and Italian?"

"Yep, that's right."

"But Congo French, because you learnt it when you were helping treat people who were hurt when there was a war there?" Sometimes Auntie Sara tells me stories about the Congo too, though Mummy tends to give her dagger looks halfway through those stories so I never hear the whole thing.

"Umm Hmm."

"Which is your favourite?"

"Afrikaans, definitely."

"Why?"

"I don't know… because it's South African, I guess, because it's unique to South Africa and no one else speaks it in the world."

"Oh, OK. Auntie Sara?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you ever going to go back to South Africa?"

"I… I don't know Josi, I think so. I think I will… it all depends, I guess."

"On whether you and Uncle Pieter get back together?"

"Mmm. Josi? Promise me something, will you darling? Don't ever get too attached to boys, will you? Not the ones who say they love you and want to date you or whatever you call it in England, that is. They're lying fucking bastards, the lot of them."

* * *

**Day 10, I'm catching up :) Hope you enjoyed this one, I fancied a Sara/Josi heart to heart before the upcoming tube trip... :P Let me know what you think and there's more coming soon,**

**Flossie xxx**


	11. Thursday 11th December 2020

**Thursday 11****th**** December 2020**

**Sara's Diary**

_'First, you think the worst is a broken heart,_

_But what's going to kill you is the second part.'_

_Six Degrees of Separation, The Script_

**-7.56am**

"So you're sure you're OK with that, Sara? You don't have to if you don't want to, I'm sure we can work something out…"

"No, honestly Niks, it's fine, of course I don't mind. It's absolutely fine."

Think may have just agreed to take Joycelin to dance show dress rehearsal this afternoon. Not only that, but on the London Underground. Bloody terrifying prospect now actually think about it, god only knows why I agreed to it. Entire concept of having train network underneath London is completely ridiculous, sounds incredibly complicated and just a little bit claustrophobic.

Did suggest to Niks could leave her car here today and I could drive, at which point Harry pointed out am still disqualified. Pointed out am disqualified in _South Africa_, this is England. To which Nikki said probably not the best idea, as A) could be arrested and B) I probably wouldn't understand British road etiquette. Said what was there to not get, just drive and sound horn and bloody idiots in way. To which Harry and Nikki said point proven.

So anyway, bottom line is, am going to be braving the London Underground with a nine year old this afternoon. To say am bloody terrified is an understatement.

"Thank you so much. It's not that far, even you and Josi shouldn't be able to get lost."

"Oi, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Remind me what happened when you and Josi went off by yourselves at that steam fair in Three Anchor Bay and…"

Damn, knew she was going to mention that, just knew.

"Hey, that's different!"

"How is that different?"

"It was only a temporary attraction, there were no signposts! There… there will be signs on the Underground… right?"

"Yep, and I might even have an Underground map somewhere, you'll be fine. It's really not that complicated, it's not even like you're going to have to change lines…"

What?! No one said anything about changing lines…?!

"There… there are different lines?!"

"Well yes, but you don't have to use them so I wouldn't worry about it."

"I just have to stay on the same one?" Oh shit, this is proving rather more complicated than previously thought. Given previously thought was going to be incredibly complicated, this is worrying.

"You get on the District Line at South Kensington, just up the road, and then you get off a couple of stops later at Earl's Court and Josi knows the way from there. It's fine, you'll be fine. Joycelin's done it before, you remember the route, don't you?"

"Ummm… I think so, Mummy…"

"Of course you do, you'll remember it once you get there. You've got to help Auntie Sara if she gets you lost, you'll be able to do that, won't you? You're getting to your dance rehearsal depends on it, Daddy and I are going to be at work."

"But we can phone you if we get lost, can't we Mummy? Or will you be busy doing that post mortem on the man with diabetes you haven't been able to do for days because of the snow?"

"Well… no, I'm hoping to have that done before this afternoon, but you won't be able to phone me Josi, there's no signal on the Underground."

"Shit, there's not even any bloody phone signal down there? I can't even send you an SMS when we get completely lost in the middle of nowhere miles underneath London?!"

"Sara you won't get lost, I promise. And even if you do, you just get off at the next stop and work out where you are. It'll be fine, honestly. What could go wrong?"

Unfortunately, have a terrible feeling those may be famous last words.

**-3.04pm**

Definitely regretting agreeing to do this. Almost managed to get lost just finding Josi's school to pick her up, and worrying thing is, school is only five minutes' walk away from Harry and Niks's house. How the hell am going to manage the London Underground is beyond me.

If perfectly honest, am pinning hopes on Joycelin's sense of direction having improved somewhat since the pair of us got lost at the steam fair in Three Anchor Bay last summer. God knows mine hasn't.

Speaking of Joycelin, kind of hoping she's going to appear sooner rather than later. Hated the bloody school run enough when had to do it with own kids, have no particular desire to attempt to mingle with bunch of English mums most likely have absolutely nothing in common with. Plus don't know which ones are parents of Josi's friends and which are parents of evil kids in her class she hates (you get that in every primary school no matter which side of the equator you're on, right?), therefore don't know which ones to mingle with. School playground is a surprisingly political place as an adult.

Ahhh there she is.

"Hi Auntie Sara!"

"Hello, trouble. How was your day?"

"It was good, thanks. Except for French."

Here we go. Tried my absolute best yesterday to convince Josi that French is in fact beautiful language, though still failing to get through to her. Child is incredibly stubborn for a nine year old, hell of a lot like her mother. Although given how much she enjoyed Italian lesson yesterday, suspect hatred of French is because of Mr Roberts or whatever his name is rather than hatred of languages full stop.

"What was wrong with French then? Shall I take one of your bags?"

"No, it's OK Auntie Sara, I'm fine. Mr Roberts wasn't very impressed with our Italian sentences."

"Wasn't he? What did he say?" Hehehehe thought they'd baffle him. Really shouldn't find it funny but can't quite help it. Outsmarting teachers as an adult when they no longer have any power over you is just far too much fun.

"He asked me how I expected him to mark them, given he doesn't know any Italian."

"So did you tell him that he doesn't know any French either, but he normally manages to mark your homework somehow so you thought he'd cope?"

"No, Auntie Sara, then he would have sent me to the reflection room!"

"What's the reflection room?"

"It's where all the naughty children get sent at break time when they've done something bad, and they have to write about what they did wrong and what they're going to do next time to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Ahhh, I see. They didn't bother with that when I was at school, they just smacked you if you misbehaved."

"They smacked you?!"

"Ja, they don't do any of this reflecting on your actions crap in South Africa. Or they didn't when I was at school at least."

"Did you ever get smacked Auntie Sara?"

"More times than I can remember, I was terribly behaved at primary school. What about you, Josi, have you ever been sent to the reflection room?"

"No, not yet. Auntie Sara, are you sure it's legal for teachers to smack children in South Africa?"

"Probably not, no. Come on then, is this it?" Tube station looks rather intimidating, think it's all those steps. That said, steps itself are pretty goddamn intimidating these days, especially if bloody leg decides to play up. And station looks rather busy. Oh good lord, this is going to go well.

"Yep. We have to buy tickets first, and then we want the District Line."

"Right… OK… hang on, there's more than one line to choose from?!" Eeeeek Niks didn't warn me was going to be more than one line before we even got onto the bloody platform.

"Well there are two lines, the District Line and the Circle Line. They go to most of the same places actually, but only the District Line goes to West Kensington."

Why is it the place we're going has to be one of the ones that isn't on both of the damn lines?

"Right… OK… Josi? If I give you the money, will you buy the tickets for me?" Not in the mood for attempting to work out how to use the bloody machines, will let Josi do that while try to get bearings and work out where the hell we're meant to go. Is definitely like some sort of bloody underground maze down here, and haven't even made it as far as the platforms yet.

"Sorted? Right, come on then, which way are we going?"

"How should I know?" Oh god, this is a good start.

"Well… you live here!"

"Yes, but I don't go on the tube that often, and when I do I always have Mummy or Daddy or Grandma or Granddad or Auntie Charlie or someone like that with me, and they know where to go so I just follow them."

Brilliant.

"Right… come on then Joycelin, we can work this out. District Line, right?"

"Yep, that's right, the green one?"

"Green one?"

"Ja, they're all colour-coded. The District Line is green and the Circle Line is yellow."

"Ohhhhh… so as long as we make sure we get on a green train not a yellow train, we'll be OK?"

"I guess so. Shall we go down to the platforms, Auntie Sara?"

"That sounds like a good idea, come on then. And hold my hand please, I don't want to lose you half a bloody mile below London, do I? Your mum would murder me."

**-3.37pm**

Thankfully, tube experience so far is shaping up to be surprisingly easy. Have found way down onto platform without too much difficulty, and according to big flashing sign thing above the platform, next train is a District Line one. Which means all Josi and I have to do is get on, wait a couple of stops and get off again at West Kensington. How hard can that be?"

**-3.38pm**

"Ohhhh Auntie Sara, is that our train?"

"Must be, the board says the next one due is the District Line. Is there any way of telling the District trains apart from the Circle ones, or do you just have to make an educated guess?"

"No, the bars you hold onto inside the train are colour-coded, see? The ones on this train are green, so it must be a District Line train."

"Perfect, come on then. So Josi?"

"Hmm?"

"Am I allowed to stay and watch your dancing, or do I have to go home and come back for you later? Only I'm not sure I'm brave enough to face the tube alone."

"I'm sure you could, Auntie Sara, Miss Michelle lets parents stay to watch sometimes. But the tube's not that bad, is it?"

"Not so far, no, but we're not there yet! And it's going to be bloody rush hour soon, that's going to be an absolute nightmare by myself with not the faintest idea where I am."

"True. I'm sure Miss Michelle would let you stay and watch, I'll ask her. She can't really turn you down, not after you taught me how to do split leaps out of pirouettes. Her way was rubbish, I kept falling over my feet!"

"I know you did. It was rather entertaining, I'll have you know… Josi?"

"Hmm?"

"Shouldn't we have gotten off by now?" Sure Niks said we'd only be on here a couple of minutes… uh oh…

"Ummm… I don't think so… we haven't been to West Kensington yet, have we…?"

"I don't know… we'll look out for the next station, OK? I'm sure it's fine…"

Oh good lord, can so see this being a repeat performance of that goddamned steam fair in Three Anchor Bay. Only miles underneath London with no bloody phone signal in a weird foreign country. Brilliant, bloody brilliant.

"What's this stop we're pulling into now Josi, can you see?"

"Ummm… Embankment… I think. Is that bad?"

"Not sure… just let me look at the map… god the lighting down here's shit…"

Damn, can't even find where we started on tube map with bloody tiny writing, let alone where we're trying to get to or where the hell we might be now.

"Embankment, did you say?"

"Yep, Embankment. Do you know where we are, Auntie Sara? Should we get off?"

"Umm… hang on… oh shit it's too late now, we can't get off, we're moving again."

"But do you know where we are?" Awww poor baby sounds slightly panicked, reminds me so much of her mother the first time she turned up at my anthropology lab. Good lord, do I really give off that much of an impression of being scary and not having the faintest clue what I'm doing? Apparently so.

The trouble is, in this instance, can't exactly deny that don't have the faintest clue what I'm doing.

"I think so. We were meant to be heading west, towards West Kensington, remember?"

"Umm hmmm. So where are we now? Where is Embankment?"

"In the opposite direction. We must have gotten on the District Line train heading east rather than west by mistake, Embankment's in the complete opposite direction to West Kensington."

"Ah."

"Ah indeed."

"So what do we do? I'm going to be late, aren't I?"

"You are my darling, I'm sorry." Am officially a complete fucking idiot, can't even get poor little nine year old to her dance show rehearsal on time. Lucky she's so lovely, am sure Zaretta would have rolled her eyes at me in bloody despair. "Umm… well I guess we get off at the next station and get back on the District Line heading back towards West Kensington, that's the only thing we can do, really. I'm sorry."

"It's alright Auntie Sara, it's not your fault. I find the tube really confusing when I'm with Mummy and Daddy who are really good at using them, and you've never done this before so really it's no one's fault we've ended up…"

"In the middle of nowhere?" Oh god am so useless, sense of direction is officially crap. But then again have never needed to have particularly good sense of direction, because Pieter's always been so good at…

"Well not exactly the middle of nowhere, more like the middle of Lond… Auntie Sara, are you crying?"

Oh shit, thought had managed to hold tears in well enough for her not to notice. Crap, can't even get that right.

"No Josi, I'm fine, I…" Oh god, now she's brought it up can't seem to stop. On bloody crowded tube, everyone's looking at me and can just tell they bloody know am complete fucking emotional wreck thanks to lying cheating shit of a husband, can tell from the pitying look in their eyes but don't want their fucking pity, just want everything to go back to the way it was before Pieter went and fucking…

"No you're not. Auntie Sara? Shall we get off and try to work out where we are?"

Don't even know what's the best thing to do, clearly have no fucking common sense at all judging by complete and utter mess have managed to get both of us into.

"Come on, we'll get off here, it's OK." Awww she's taking my arm and leading me off the train, is rather sweet and sensible for a nine year old. Admittedly doesn't seem to have sense of direction much better than mine, but hey, can't all be perfect.

"Shall we go up onto ground level and phone Mummy? She might know what to do."

Oh god, that's last thing I need, don't want Niks to know have managed to end up on completely wrong side of London and am now sobbing hysterically over broken marriage for no particular reason and leaving her nine year old daughter to sort out whole bloody mess. No way in hell.

"No… no Josi… need… just work out where… hell are… don't…" Oh good god, can't even talk properly, get a fucking grip Sara. Know am making complete idiot of self but… but… can't quite get thoughts of Pieter out of head now have let them in… can just imagine how brilliant he'd be a finding way through bloody maze that is London Underground, wouldn't have gotten lost if was with him…

"Come on, shall we look at the map? So… so must be at Monument… so if we get on that train there we'll end up heading back the way we've come from… will we?"

Think so. Not really too sure, can't see map due to ridiculous extent of bloody crying. Pathetic, is completely pathetic. Not to mention unfair on poor Josi, who's missing her dance rehearsal because of hopeless fucking excuse of a godmother.

"Think so… come on… this… one?"

"Ummm… I think it must be… or…?"

Ohhhh gosh too late to be doubting selves now, seem to have hit rush hour and being pushed along onto train along with mob of bloody commuters. This is turning into a bloody nightmare.

"Going… have to... be."

"Don't cry. Hang on, I think I might have a packet of tissues in my dance bag somewhere… you don't mind Angelina Ballerina, do you?"

"That's absolutely fine my darling, I'm sorry, I'm being so…"

"No you're not, it's fine. Everybody's allowed to get upset sometimes, that what my Mummy says."

"Does she? Awww well your Mummy talks an awful lot of sense Josi, I think we all know that."

"She does. Auntie Sara?"

"Hmm?"

"It'll all be OK in the end, you know. I don't know exactly how just yet, but it will be OK in the end. You'll see."

Awww she's actually adorable.

"That's very sweet of you Joycelin, but I don't…"

"Of course it will, don't worry. I know it will…" Ohhh she's trailing off, slightly worried look on face. "Auntie Sara? I think I might have made a really stupid mistake."

Uh oh.

"Stupid mistake? Explain? We're not on the wrong line again are we?"

"Ummm… I don't know. Auntie Sara?"

"Hmmm? It's OK Josi, don't worry. After my monumental fuck up and crying fit I can't exactly be cross with you for getting us onto the wrong train, can I?"

"I didn't realise there were three lines going through the station we got on at."

Oh shit. Three?! And I was panicking about two earlier, oh good god…

"Josi it's fine darling, don't worry, we got on in a bit of a hurry and I was being a fat lot of good, I'm sorry. So which one do you think we're on?" Please say District or Central, please say District or Central…

"I think we might be on the Northern Line, heading towards London Bridge."

Oh good god. "Can I see the map, darling?" Shit, how the hell did we manage that?! Fucking stupid, absolutely no way am going to be able to get her back to West Kensington in time for dance rehearsal now, fucking useless, Pieter was right…

"Oh Auntie Sara don't cry, that was my fault. It's OK, we'll get home somehow. We can ask one of the nice guards when we get to London Bridge, I'm sure they'll be able to help us."

"Josi?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm so sorry sweetheart, but I think by the time we've sorted out which direction we're actually meant to be heading in, your dance rehearsal's going to be almost over."

"Don't worry Auntie Sara, it's fine, honestly. I know what I'm doing anyway."

"I know you do, you're going to be brilliant. Listen, do you think it might be a better idea to get off at London Bridge and go and find a nice café somewhere to have hot chocolate? And maybe we can phone your Mummy and Daddy and see if they can come and pick us up, I'm not sure I'm feeling brave enough to attempt the fucking tube again. What do you say?"

"Can I have pink marshmallows with my hot chocolate?"

"I don't see why not."

"Well in that case, I think that's a great idea."

* * *

**I'm SO, SO, SO sorry, honestly. I found this one really difficult to write and went into a bit of a meltdown with it, hence taking so long to get it done and falling even further behind. The good news is that it's my last day at college tomorrow and the writer's block and obsessiveness is officially gone, and so I PROMISE to catch up by the end of the week. Promise. I'm so sorry, I know this has been a complete fail and it's all my fault, really sorry, I do feel awful if that's any consolation. **

**PLease do let me know if you're still enjoying this, reviews will make me write faster :) PROMISE I'll be up to speed by the 23rd latest. Promise. And sooner if I get lots of lovely reviews spurring me on :) **

**Flossie xxx**


	12. Friday 12th December 2020

**Friday 12****th**** December 2020**

**Nikki's Diary**

**-8.54am**

Ahhh thank god for that, start of first vaguely normal day since the snow on Monday. Joycelin finally back at school (sure it could have opened yesterday, think the teachers just had too much of a good thing and wanted one last lie in) and business as usual at work, just having to be careful of potential health and safety hazard at outdoor crime scenes. Similar goes for Leo as does with Josi's teachers; is finally back in work after not being able to get in all week due to menacing snow and ice (Harry says that's what they all say.) Will be nice to get back to normal.

Then again, things aren't exactly going to be normal even now, far from it, in fact. Is just minor issue of Sara still being here and situation with Pieter still being… well… don't quite know what to call it, really. Have been trying not to think about it too much, in all honestly. Just don't know what to do. So badly wanted to make it all better for them both, but after disastrous phone call to Pieter the other day is no way am trying that again. So don't know what to do.

Sara seems worse today if anything; lower somehow, more depressed. Think is most likely because Zaretta, Ethan and Callum are due home today from respective universities; should be at home having pre-Christmas family time. _Would_ be at home with them having pre-Christmas family time if only Pieter hadn't… well, yes. That. Definitely think she needs to see her kids, but know she has no plans of going home any time soon- asked me last night rather quietly when Harry was upstairs reading Joycelin a bedtime story post London Underground disaster when we wanted her out by. Said not to be so silly, can stay as long as she likes, Christmas and New Year included, and she's not to worry about imposing, we're happy to have her.

Trouble is, know Sara will go home to Cape Town and risk running into Pieter over her dead body. Which means that chances of seeing Zaretta, Ethan and Callum any time soon are relatively low.

Feel for the poor kids, too. Know they're grown up now and don't need their parents in the same way as they did when they were Joycelin's age, but still. Must have been horrible for them, coming home from university for Christmas and finding your mother had left home. God only knows what they've been told about what's happened. Not sure if Sara's spoken to any of them since walking out and leaving for London, actually- did try to bring it up the other day but then Josi came in looking for her left tap shoe and never got an answer. They must feel unbelievably caught in the middle, assuming Pieter hasn't exploded on them the way he did with me down the phone, that is. And if so, don't particularly want to think about the mess they're potentially in too right now.

Going to have to come up with a plan B, can't sit by and watch Sara and Pieter's relationship fall to pieces permanently. Plan A, the phone call, was a complete and utter disaster, so will have to try a drastically different approach. Just hope can come up with something before Christmas.

Brought Sara into work with Harry and me today, am hoping will take her mind off things, at least a little. Am trying to come up with daily distractions to stop her thinking about home and Pieter and family and everything that seems to have fallen apart this month, in light of mini breakdown on the tube yesterday afternoon. Today's distraction is witnessing British-style pathology, tomorrow's is coming to watch Josi's dance show. Haven't got as far as Sunday yet- am thinking potentially ice skating, with Harry firmly on solid ground taking photos after last year's three broken fingers. And then next week is a whole other issue.

"Niks?"

"Hmmm?"

"This mortuary is fucking freezing! It's like walking into a bloody freezer, how the hell do you manage to get any work done in here?!"

Hehehehe, distraction appears to be doing the job.

"It's meant to be freezing in here Sara, you've hit the nail on the head, it's a mortuary!"

"Well, it's not this bloody freezing in South African mortuaries!"

"That's because there's no air conditioning! And it's why the bodies start decomposing so quickly in the summer, because it's too hot in there!"

"Exactly! It's colder in England, you should have central heating!"

"Let me get this straight; you want central heating in home office mortuaries?" Could almost convince self that nothing is wrong when having completely and utterly bizarre but brilliant conversations like this with Sara. Almost.

"Well why not, hey? Come on, don't tell me you don't bloody freeze to death down here in the winter?"

"Well yes…"

"Exactly, point proven! Central heating in mortuaries, it's a winner. Seriously, though, do you not end up wearing bloody thermals under scrubs in here?"

"Umm… no! You just sort of get used to it after a while. Remember Harry near passed out last Christmas in Cape Town trying to help you with that PM mid-afternoon? British pathologists are used to the cold just like you lot are used to the heat."

"You lot? What do you mean, you lot?! You're one of 'us lot' Nicola Alexander, don't you tell me otherwise!"

Hehehehe, can tell she's going to go all patriotic on me now and ask me where my loyalties lie. May be so far failing hopelessly at coming up with a plan B for getting Sara and Pieter back together, though at least seem to be succeeding in making Sara laugh and taking her mind off it all, even if it's only for a few minutes.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sara, this is where I've worked for the past 20 odd years!"

"Yes, but where did you train? Who trained you?! Your loyalties lie in a nice warm mortuary in South Africa Niks, face it!"

"No they don't, they lie in the freezing cold Lyell Centre with me, isn't that right Nikki?"

Ohhhh Harry's back from his crime scene, wasn't expecting him for a while yet. Haven't seen anywhere near enough of him in last 24 hours, what with covering for Leo and Charlie and Zak yesterday and having to rescue Sara and Josi from London Bridge and calming Sara down and finishing Josi's Bellatrix tutu and Harry's scene this morning and all that.

"Oh I don't know about that, Harry Cunningham, maybe Sara's right. Nice sunny Africa does sound rather appealing right now…"

"Oi you, don't push it!" Lips so close to mine now are almost touching, could just reach out and…"

"Shall I take that as a no, sunny Africa's not so appealing after all, Dr Alexander?"

"Does that question really need an answer, Dr Cunningham?"

* * *

**I'm in the middle of a major catch up session, and tonight and tomorrow are entirely dedicated to both catching up with writing and with reading :) And when I catch up with reading everyone else's fanfic I will be reviewing, promise :) Hope you enjoyed this one, let me know by hitting the review button, and hopefully the 13th will be up before the end of this evening- told you I'm having a major catch up session!**

**Reviews would be seriously incredible, you guys know you're the reason I write and I love to know what you think, even if it's just a couple of words :)**

**Flossie xxx**


	13. Saturday 13th December 2020

**Saturday 13****th**** December 2020**

**Nikki's Diary**

**-5.38pm**

"Mummy?"

"Yes, angel?" If she's going to ask me if am sure have put enough damn bobby pins in hair, may well scream. Bloody dance teacher has decided that can't just throw her hair in bun for benig Bellatrix, have to do elaborate half-up half-down thingy. Which is all very well, except that getting it to stay in while nine year old 'Bellatrix' is doing aerials and pirouettes and whatnot is an absolute nightmare for the poor parent. Ie me. Not helped by the fact that said nine year old is a complete perfectionist, and completely paranoid hair is going to fall out in middle of solo. Think is fairly clear that said dance teacher, Miss Michelle, does not have children of her own and therefore does not have the stress of sorting out hair and costumes etc for shows and exams and what have you. Is logistical nightmare.

"Where are you and Daddy and Auntie Sara and Nana sitting?"

Awww I take it back, she's not obsessing after all.

"Third row from the front, in the middle. Prime photo taking position, it's perfect, we'll be able to see you really well."

"How many photos are you taking?"

"As many as physically possible before either I run out of memory on the camera card or Daddy loses his patience and confiscates the camera. Or both. And Nana's videoing. Why?"

"Will you not take any photos when I'm doing my third set of turns in my solo please? Because the leaping out of them is still a bit shaky and I don't want you to take pictures of me in a heap on the floor."

"You won't end up in a heap on the floor Josi, I promise. And if you do then I'll delete those photos, OK? It'll be fine."

"OK. Mummy, are you sure there are enough pins in my hair?"

I take it back.

"Absolutely positive, if I stick any more in I'm going to end up stabbing the back of your head. Calm down, stop worrying. You're going to be fine…"

Ohhh god she's rummaging through her ballet bag again, need to calm her down or she really is going to fall over. Don't understand why she's so stressed about this evening, don't remember her being this bad for last year's Christmas dance show. Wonder if Miss Michelle gave her a hard time for missing Thursday's dress rehearsal. Quite possibly. Don't think 'my Aunt had a mental breakdown on the tube and we ended up at London Bridge by mistake' counts as a valid excuse in her book. Probably not.

"What are you looking for now?"

"I'm checking I brought my black jazz shoes and not my pink ones by mistake. Because my costume is black and pink jazz shoes would look ridiculous."

"Josi I saw you put them in there, remember? It's fine." Know from past experience she's prone to last minute panics that she's forgotten things when it comes to dancing, so made her bring everything needed into living room last night, write checklist and pack everything in front of Harry, Sara and me- figured if three people saw her pack everything into dance bag, might be enough to convince her had everything. Apparently not.

"Shall I put them on now so I know I have them?"

"That's probably a good idea. Right, so are you all sorted then?"

"I think so. Can I borrow your dragonfly necklace again please, for good luck?"

"Of course you can, come here." Has become something of a ritual that she borrows necklace for dance shows, not entirely sure it's going to go with Bellatrix costume but never mind. "Right, can you get your wand out. I want to take a photo of you in your costume for Auntie Sara before you go onstage." Sara has worked absolute wonders with costume, definitely couldn't have done it without her. And has surprising amount of patience when it comes to sewing tiny sequins into tutu- going to have to bear this in mind for next year.

"Ohhh OK. Can I do an arabesque?"

"Yep, if you want. OK, ready?" Wow, she does a rather impressive evil face, thanks to Sara's expert costume making skills, Bellatrix likeness is slightly uncanny. Hair a bit too dark and slightly too tanned but otherwise could be a young Helena Bonham Carter. And of course, being her mother, am utterly unbiased in that opinion. Obviously.

**5.56pm**

"Is she OK?"

"She's fine, a bit nervous I think but not too bad."

"Have you told her to break a leg?"

"Nope, I'm not risking it. It's tempting fate."

"Tempting fate? Oh come on, Niks, it's just an expression!"

"And Josi's an accident-prone nine year old, absolutely not risking it. Thank you so much for helping with her costume, Sara, it's brilliant."

"Awww you're welcome, it was a pleasure. It's been a while since I've had someone to make costumes for, I've rather missed it, actually."

"Brilliant, can we book you for her summer dance competition? Nikki hates making costumes with an absolute passion; she always leaves it until the last possible moment. And look, she's giggling and she's not even going to try to deny that, because she knows I'm right!"

"But Niks, it's so much fun!"

"Sure it is, if you like that sort of thing! I normally end up giving Anne her ballet shoes to put the elastic stuff in, don't I? But you do such a good job of it." Have never to date allowed Harry's mum Anne to pay me back for ticket to  
come and watch Josi's dance show, only seems fair given she tends to be go-to person for anything involving a needle and thread. Am refusing to let Sara pay for ticket on same basis (and also on grounds that am feeling hugely sorry for her at the moment and trying absolutely everything to cheer her up just a little bit, but have no plans of telling Sara that part any time soon.)

"It's really not that difficult Nikki, honestly. Well, I say that; I did try to teach Harry to sew before I sent him off to university, but to say that didn't work out is a massive understatement, he was hopeless!"

Hehehehe, so going to have to tease Harry about this for the foreseeable future.

"That doesn't surprise me! I have to say, the mental image of Harry with a needle and thread isn't exactly easy to conjure up!"

"Oi, I use a needle and thread all the time, thank you! In the cutting room!"

"Exactly! You two are pathologists, for god's sake, anyone would think sewing would be easy after using stitches at work!"

"Yes, but that's completely different! What you're actually sewing together is a completely different consistency for a start…"

"Ewww, do you two really have to do this here?"

"Yes we do Mum, sorry. Anyway, as I was saying, with a body it's a completely different consistency, not to mention…"

"Ohhh look I think it's starting, you're going to have to have this discussion later! Preferably after you've dropped me home!"

**-8.30pm**

Ohhh curtains closing now, must be the end. Which means to psyche self up for venturing backstage to round up daughter and get out of here ASAP before car park blocks up.

"Awww she was brilliant, wasn't she? You must all be so proud."

"Oh we are, we really are. Don't suppose you want to go and get her, do you Sara? It's always absolute chaos back there at the end, I don't know what the teachers give them to keep them awake but it seems to make them all hit the hyperactive stage just as they're being handed back over to their parents."

"Ahhh so getting her to sleep tonight is going to be a bloody nightmare, is it?" Grrr Sara's smirking now, she's enjoying this. Is probably rather entertaining when it's not your child who's rather hyperactive and full of energy at getting on for midnight, as Josi inevitably will be.

"Pretty much. Seriously, do you want to go and get her? She might be more inclined to go with you and Harry or me; you're far more exciting than we are."

"Haha, am I?"

"Of course you are, you're not her parents! Go on, bet you anything she'll come as soon as you ask her. Just make sure she brings all her stuff out with her, the lost property after the Christmas show's always atrocious."

"Of course, don't worry. Shall I see you back here?"

"No, meet us in the entrance, that should be slightly less crowded. Josi knows the way down there."

"Brilliant, OK. I'll see you in a minute."

Harry leaning over to whisper in ear now, have fairly good idea know what he's going to say.

"You don't really think Josi's going to be any more willing to come away with Sara than with us, do you?"

"God no, absolutely not, she and her friends are probably hiding under the stage as we speak."

"Oh well, not our problem, is it? Come on Mum, we'll go down to the entrance and wait for them, I think they're going to be a while yet."

"You're cruel, you two, you really are."

"Nah, we're not. It's been years since Sara's had a hyperactive nine year old of her own to round up, I'm sure she'll relish the challenge."

**-8.46pm**

"Mummy! Daddy! Nana!"

"Hello, you. You were rather brilliant, you know that? I'm so proud of you."

"Was I OK?"

"You were more than OK, Joycelin, you were fantastic. More than fantastic, Helena Bonham Carter would be proud."

"Who…?"

"She's the actress who plays Bellatrix in the Harry Potter films, Josi. Anyway, are you ready to go home, then? It's past your bedtime and we still need to drop Nana home, so we'd better get going. Have you said thank you to Miss Michelle?"

"Yep. Can't I stay and finish playing…"

"Nope, time to go home now, you'll see all your friends again on Monday, won't you? Come on."

"Fine. Mummy?"

"Hmm?"

"Caitlin's guinea pig's just had babies, and she says…"

"Don't even think about it."

* * *

**That's the second one tonight, I'm catching up! Hope you enjoyed and as ever, thank you thank you thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far, you guys are so amazing you have no idea. Please do keep reviewing, I know it's a busy time of year but it only takes a moment and it'd make me so happy :) Please? **

**More coming very soon, I'm determined to catch up before the end of the week!**

**Flossie xxx**


	14. Sunday 14th December 2020

**Sunday 14****th**** December 2020**

**Harry's Diary**

**-9.34am**

"Nooooo! Nooooo Nikki, that's not fair, you can't!"

Grrrr she's got that irritating look on her face, know she's going to talk me into this eventually no matter how hard I battle to wriggle out of it. Never could resist that look, however annoying it may be. Although actually, now think about it, most likely find it annoying because know can't say no to it. Grrrrr.

"I think you'll find I can! Come on Harry, you'll enjoy it once we get there!"

"What, like I enjoyed it last year, when you dragged me off with you showing off, and I fell over and…"

"Oh get over it; it was only a broken finger!"

"Three, Nikki, _three_ broken fingers!"

"Poor baby. But you can't back out now, it's all arranged! We're meeting Leo and Janet with the kids at Somerset House at 11…"

"Are you sure I can't just sit at the side and watch?"

"That'll mess up the one adult to supervise each child system. I told you, Janet and I have got this all beautifully planned out, you can't back out now!"

"Oh come on, I'm hardly adequate supervision am I, I think we both know I'm hopeless! Joycelin's far better than I am, she doesn't even need supervision! And anyway, Sara's an adult, she can take my place as responsible adult this year and I'll sit and watch and take nice photos!"

"But Sara's never been ice skating before, she might be even more hopeless than you are! No, there's no getting out of it Harry, you're coming ice skating with us like it or lump it!"

Damn.

"Fine, fine. But if I end up in A and E again, I'm holding you personally responsible Nicola Alexander!"

"Urgh, don't call me Nicola!"

"Don't drag me ice skating against my will then!"

"What?! Daddy, don't you want to go ice skating? But it's so much fun!"

Sure it is, if you're nine years young, flexible, agile, and spend half your life dancing and whatnot.

"OK, OK, I'll come Josi, don't worry. Does Auntie Sara know she's being dragged ice skating this morning too?" Although actually, don't know why am bothering to ask, Sara falls into same 'if you can dance, ice skating isn't too difficult' category as Nikki and Joycelin, she'll most likely be fine too. Grrrr. Why am I the only member of annual Lyell Centre and co. ice skating crew with two left feet? So not fair.

"Yes, I do, and I don't understand what you're complaining about Harry, it sounds like so much fun!"

Oh god, think Sara might well be more excited about this than Nikki and Joycelin put together.

"You're not the one who broke three fingers last year when _someone_ dragged you around the ice rink at top speed!"

"True. Well there's a simple solution to that one Harry, just don't let Niks drag you anywhere! It'll be great, you'll see!"

**-11.09am**

Cannot believe have agreed to do this. Am currently perched precariously on bench at side of outdoor ice rink wrestling feet into ice skates, shivering in the bloody cold and trying to come up with some sort of survival tactic for next hour or however long am going to be forced to stay on the ice for. Can practically feel formally broken fingers twinging in anticipation.

"Uncle Harry?"

"Yes Jasper?" Jasper is Leo and Janet's middle child, Josi's age and prone to asking just as awkward questions as she does.

"Daddy and I were talking about this earlier, and we think it's probably a good idea for you to hold onto the railing around the edge of the ice rink at all times this year. Because we're going to visit my Uncle after this and we haven't got time to drive you to A and E."

Don't children just say the most wonderful things?

"Ummm… thanks Jasper, good suggestion." Will give Leo evils across ice rink, so going to make him pay for this.

"Don't look at me Harry, I had nothing to do with it! So have you been practising?"

"You know full well I haven't! I wasn't planning on ice skating at all this year, but Nikki somehow managed to talk me into it."

"Are you positive it's really sensible given what happened…?"

"No, I'm not sure it's sensible, no, I'm not likely to be any better than last year, and no, none of you have permission to laugh at me if and when I fall flat on my face! Agreed?"

"Fine, fine. Come on Harry, it's really not that difficult. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do Nikki, I just think…"

"Right, come on then! I'll teach you."

Uh oh she's grabbing my hand now and pulling me off solid ground and onto the ice, possibly a little too fast and eagerly for me to be able to get my balance now I think about….

"Ohwwwwwwwwwwwww!"

* * *

**You didn't really think I was going to let Harry have an easy time ice skating, did you? :)**

**Getting up to speed, I promise I'll be there by the end of the week, promise! Thank you so much to KiwiSWfan for all your wonderful reviews keeping me going with this- yes, this is the same universe as my lighthouse series :) **

**Anyone else? Come on, you know you want to ;) reviews honestly make my day and would really spur me on with getting this up to speed ASAP, please do let me know if you're enjoying it. I'm still not convinced it's brilliant, hence why your feedback is so important. Massive hugs in advance :)**

**Love Flossie xxx**


	15. Monday 15th December 2020

**Monday 15****th**** December 2020**

**Nikki's Diary**

**-6.17pm**

"No, no, he's fine Anne, I really wouldn't worry… no, don't be silly, Sara's still staying with us, she's fine to help out with anything… oh no, thank you, that's very kind of you but it'll be fine… no, he barely even made it out onto the ice before he fell, that's got to be a new record even for him!... no lasting damage, no, just crutches for a few weeks, fortunately Sara's already offered to help out with post mortems at work while she's here… yep, he's just here, I'll pass you over, shall I? Harry, it's your mum!"

Hehehehe, darling husband is mouthing 'I hate you' rather grumpily. Is own fault for losing footing before had even made it onto the ice rink, slipping, grabbing onto Leo in desperate attempt to regain balance, dragging Leo down on top of him and fracturing ankle in the process. Harry's own ankle, not Leo's, Leo fine apart from rather impressive haematoma in place not normally visible to the public according to Janet. Told her was far too much information.

Right, well will leave darling husband to it and go and help Sara with making dinner. And see how much progress Joycelin has made with homework since last checked on proceedings in kitchen. Suspect not very much at all given the fuss she was making about having to do homework in last week of term earlier. Must say, do think she may have a point.

"Sara, are you sure you don't mind cooking tonight? I can take over now if you want, I've given the phone to Harry, it's his mum…"

"Niks it's fine, don't worry, I don't mind. It's the least I can do after you and Harry have let me stay here for so long…"

"I've already told you, we honestly don't mind…"

"And I honestly don't mind cooking dinner for you all, so it's all even. How's Anne then, I take it she knows about Harry's ankle fracture?"

"Just about, apparently he texted her this morning to say he'd had a stressful Sunday in hospital and how was she, the drama queen. She was in a bit of a panic but I've reassured her he's absolutely fine, just being a complete wimp about it, as per usual. What is it with men and a complete incapability to deal with injury and illness?"

"I know, tell me about it! Pieter's just the same, the number of times…"

Ohhhh gosh, shouldn't have lead the conversation onto such dangerous ground, can see her eyes glazing over. Stupid, Nikki, stupid. Should know better than this, any topic of conversation which could possibly lead back to men and therefore to Pieter is dangerous, dangerous territory at the moment. Most likely for the foreseeable future. Oh god, this is such a mess. Seriously need to hurry up in coming up with a plan B for sorting Sara and Pieter out, can't go on like this.

Screw it, am going to make blatant subject change and hope for the best. Will use Josi as the bait and hope and pray manage to get in there before she starts crying properly. Don't care if she works out exactly what I'm doing as long as succeed in preventing the waterworks.

"Josi, how's the homework situation, then? Are you getting on with it?"

"Yep."

"Good girl. How much have you got left, then? I know you're tired, an early night tonight would probably be a good idea."

"Is that really because you think I'm tired, or because you and Daddy and Auntie Sara want to have grown up conversations tonight while I'm asleep?"

Wow she's good.

"No Josi, of course not, I just mean it's the last week of term and you're bound to be tired, and I don't want you getting ill before your carol service thing…" screw it, am going to give up, can see am never going to convince her of this one. "Anyway, so what is the homework situation, then?"

"Niks, do you have any saffron?"

"Probably not if it's not in that cupboard, no. Laura next door would probably lend you some though, she'll have some. Number 9."

"Brilliant, thanks, I'll go and ask her. Keep an eye on this for me, will you?"

"Of course, don't worry. So Josi, how far did you say you'd gotten with your homework?"

"I'm finished, all I had to do was literacy and I've done that."

"Good girl. Violin practise?"

"I know, I'm going to do that now!"

"Good, as long as you've remembered. Can I see your literacy homework, please?"

"No, it's private."

"Private?" Good god, thought had a good five years to go before homework became a private matter. Apparently not.

"Ja, it has to stay a secret or it won't come true."

"Hmmm?"

"We had to write what we want for Christmas; it's a letter to Santa. So I can't show anyone or it won't come true."

Oh good god, life is bloody complicated when your child's still young enough to… you know.

"Josi you can't keep it completely secret though, or how will Santa know what to bring you on Christmas Day?"

"It's not that sort of wish, Mummy, that's all I can tell you. And tomorrow in literacy we're all going to write them out on nice paper and Mr Roberts is going to put them in envelopes to Lapland, so Santa will know, actually. Mummy?"

"Yes, angel?"

"Can Santa work miracles, do you think?"

Ohhh gosh, how on earth do I answer that one? Daughter has a strange look on her face, can't quite work out what she's thinking…

"Well I guess… what is it Josi, won't you just tell me what you've asked him for?"

"I told you Mummy, I can't, or it won't come true. Shall I go and do my violin practise now?"

"Yep off you go."

Ohhhh she's definitely gone, can hear her plucking violin strings in the lounge… she won't know if I open her homework book and see what she's written, will she? No, of course not…

_Dear Santa,_

_Thank you for all the presents you brought me last year, I was really impressed that you knew where to bring them to because I was in South Africa for Christmas at my Ouma's house, not at home. I'm staying at home for Christmas this year though, so please can you deliver my presents to London like normal? Except that I've moved house since last time you delivered me presents in London, but now I live at 7 Diana Gardens which is just down the road from where I used to live, so I don't think that will be too difficult for Rudolph and the other reindeer to find._

_I'm not sure if you'll be able to sort out my Christmas wish this year, but can you try please? I'm not sure you do this sort of Christmas wish but I thought I'd ask you anyway, and if you don't then maybe you could ask someone else to sort it out? I'm sure you have fairy friends and they might be able to help._

_My Christmas wish is for my Uncle Pieter to love my Auntie Sara again and for them to get back together, because I really like having Auntie Sara living with me but it's not very nice that she's upset all the time. She lives in South Africa normally near my Ouma, but she's come to live with my family for a while because Uncle Pieter sexed another woman, which was very bad of him, and now Auntie Sara cries all the time, and even when she isn't crying I can tell that she's upset and it's not very nice at all. _

_Can you please give all the reindeer a hug from me? Especially Comet, because he's my favourite. Thank you._

_Love from Joycelin Cunningham, _

_7 Diana Gardens_

_Kensington Gore_

_Westminster, London_

_England_

_United Kingdom _

_Europe._

Awwww. Bless her, don't even know what to… Ohhhh gosh, I'm crying now. Quite possibly the sweetest thing have ever read in life. Ever.

Have the most amazing nine year old.

* * *

**On the 15th now, only 6 days behind! Still hopeless I know but headed in the right direction. As ever reviews would be amazing, and I'll be more likely to get back on track faster ;)**

**Love Flossie xxx**


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